The Legend of Winter Falls Chapter 2

The second chapter of Dale's adventures in Winter Falls. A new quest is presented to him and the adventure unfolds in a world that Dale doesn't quite understand. Yet can Dale prepare for his quest?

In his dream he was standing in a cathedral. The cathedral was decorated in ribbons and stained glass depicting a dove descending from heaven. The altar was more of a stage like those seen in rock concerts, but a cross could be seen posted on the backwall. In the center of the stage was a woman in a white and gold dress.

            Dale recognized her as the woman that he briefly saw last. The woman’s blonde hair was illuminated by the lighting. She had compassionate green eyes. She had a look of concern on her face as she spotted Dale.

            “Greetings hero from another world,” the woman said. “I am Asula, the dragoness charged to protect the Sword of Berthorn. You must find the Sword of Berthorn and use it to save the world from the evil that will soon befall Winter Falls.”

            “How do I find this Sword of Berthorn and why me?” Dale asked.

            Asula walked closer to the stage and transformed into her true form. As a dragon she had a pattern of white and gold scales that formed bands. Her wings had a thirty-foot wingspan and nearly filled the entire stage. Her eyes though still green had a sense of determination.

            “The Sword of Berthorn is scattered throughout the land. I entrusted those pieces to be guarded by my friends and family,” Asula said. “If the sword ever fell into the wrong hands, then Almighticus’s wrath would be upon us and may bode badly for your world and ours.”

            “So, our worlds could end if we don’t retrieve the sword and put it all back together?” Dale asked. “How is a stranger like myself supposed to save a world that he does not know?”
            “Almighticus has provided you with allies and I myself have sent a vassal who will guide you on your journey. The fate of the world is on your shoulders, Dale Coppersmite.”

            Dale awoke from his sleep and bolted out of bed. The sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. As he looked around the room he found his suitcase by the bed he slept on. On the suitcase was a note.

            Make sure you don’t forget this. I managed to get this from your world. See you at the castle.

            The note didn’t say who it was from. Yet the bottom edge of the note was covered in fairy dust. He also noticed more fairy dust covering his suitcase. Dale sighed in relief as he brushed off his suitcase.

            That was a strange dream. Yet could that fairy be the vassal that the dragoness, Asula, was talking about? Yet could that other dragon be guarding a piece of the Sword of Berthorn? There’s so many questions I have and so many things to do. I ought to let my hosts and new friends know about this. Maybe they can help. Dale thought.

            Dale heard a loud knock on his door. “Mr. Coppersmite, my master has sent me to fetch you for breakfast.”

            Dale opened the door and saw the robotic maid standing outside the room. Dale followed the robotic maid through the hallway and towards the dining room. As he drew closer he could smell bacon, eggs, bagels. The scents kissed his nose the closer he got. He could also hear someone whistling and singing. The person singing had a strong masculine voice. The song that Simon was singing, and whistling had a catchy tune.

            Yet Dale had no idea that Simon had a great singing voice. His initial first impression was that Simon was a strong purple man who was also extremely intelligent. When Dale arrived at the table he saw a massive table covered in a light blue table cloth. Monica and a robot butler were carrying over plates and dishes to the table.

            Simon carried over a pitcher of tea and orange juice. Simon was also wearing a black tank top and was wearing a pair of cargo pants with the same utility belt that he wore yesterday. Simon smiled as he saw Dale take a seat at the table.

            “Morning, Dale. How did you sleep?” Simon asked.

            “Pretty well, yet I had a strange dream about a dragoness asking me to obtain the Sword of Berthorn.”

            Simon shrugged his shoulder and put the pitchers on the table. “That’s a strange dream alright. We can discuss it later. After you eat, and shower Monica and I will show you around the place. Then we must head to the castle to meet with the prince and princess. I have some new information that the prince would like to hear.”

            Monica nodded her head and sighed. “I feel sorry for them. Their sister was attacked by one of Technoheart’s foul creations.”

            Simon walked up to his wife and embraced her in a hug. “Careful now darling. Get to worked up and we might be having our kids earlier than planned. Not that I mind anyway.”

            Simon kissed his wife on the cheek and took a seat at the table. He and Monica began praying over their meal. Dale, not a religious man to begin with joined in out of respect. After Simon finished praying for the food, everyone at the table began eating.

            As the meal went on Dale, Simon, and Monica talked about their day to day lives in their respective worlds. Once the meal was finished Dale took a shower and changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a red shirt with a black sun on the front. The text on the shirt read “Rising Sun”. It was a shirt that his mother bought for him through an online store called Fallon Designs. It was a gift for his birthday, which was almost two months ago.

            Once out of the restroom the robotic maid from last night began showing Dale around the mansion. Simon and Monica accompanied Dale and explained every room in their home. There was a library that contained hundreds of books, both digital and traditional. The library was used for research and it was Monica spent most of her day working. Monica is quantum programming professor who would spend her days trying to improve AI technology and assist her husband with his own research.

            Monica would occasionally head to the university, but she had to work from home until she gave birth. Another room in the Dante household was the observatory. The observatory was full of telescopes that were used to look at constellations and record any sudden change in the weather.

            The final room that Dale saw was the laboratory. The laboratory was where Simon would work on his inventions. After his morning workouts with his wife, Simon would spend his time conducting experiments, inventing a new machine, or studying the properties of Magernium. It was here that Dale saw the trinket that Simon had on his person.

            “Simon, what’s that thing sticking out of your pocket?” Dale asked.

            Simon pulled out the trinket. The trinket had the wings of a dragon and was circular in shape. It also had a few symbols on its surface. The long bottle-neck had a cup-shaped rim where ingredients would be placed. “I am trying to create an artificial lifeform. It’s not ready yet, but I hope that I can find the ingredient today by the falls.”

Dale looked at Simon in confusion. His eyes widened when he realized that he accidently interrupted Simon’s project when Simon and Francisca found him passed out yesterday. Simon chuckled as his friend’s expression change. Monica giggled as she observed Dale trying to apologize but was unable to form a word at all.

“Don’t worry Dale. Yesterday was bad due to the timing,” Simon said. I believe the dragon is kinder to visitors on the weekends.”

“But, didn’t the great dragon of one of the Great Falls almost freeze you to death yesterday?” Monica asked. “You know in Winter Falls dragons don’t like intruders that they chased off to return to their home. You may have to offer him a concession or something.”

Simon shrugged his shoulders. “That may be true, but I’m sure he’s aware of Technoheart’s attack last night. Dragons enjoy watching sports like all the other races. The most likely outcome is that he’ll be hunting down androids or robots. We better get going. I have to report my findings to the prince.”

            Monica hugged her husband and looked him in the eyes. “Careful, my love. I hope that work today doesn’t end up being a disaster.”

Simon chuckled and put his hand on his wife’s stomach. “If Dale could stay out of trouble all shall be fine. Can’t disappoint the kids. As their father I want to be there for their birth and hold them in my arms.”

Simon and Monica passionately kiss. They break out of each other’s embrace. Dale and Simon depart for Frostbech. As Dale enters the hovercar he sees something in the sky. Yet he couldn’t make out what it was.

The drive to Frostbech Palace was uneventful. The townspeople were discussing the Brawl-a-thon’s conclusion and the Magernium Goblet ceremony to be held later in the morning. When they finally arrived at the palace grounds they saw Francisca talking to Ken and Lily. Clair, Duke and Sally were enjoying a gourmet breakfast.

As Dale and Simon approached, Dale noticed that Duke was wearing nothing but, a pair of elastic shorts. Upon further inspection Duke’s hairy body was drenched in sweat that even the tie that kept his beard in a ponytail was starting to fray. Yet Duke was unfazed by Dale’s staring as he continued eating. Even Duke’s servants stood at the ready to serve their hungry king. It wasn’t until Sally’s eyes met Dale’s that the company acknowledged the newcomers.

“Morning Dale. Morning Professor Dante,” Sally said. You guys missed it. Earlier this morning Lord Duke was doing some intense exercises. It was a fascinating display of strength. I can’t even describe everything.”

“Really?” Dale asked. “Is that part of the Sarbona fighting style? I never would imagine someone waking up at the crack of dawn to train.”

Duke finished up his meal and stood up. “The Sarbona style is not for the weak. It is a rigorous training style. I’ll meet up with you guys later. I have to shower before the Magernium Goblet ceremony.”

Duke and his servants entered the castle. As Francisca walked over to Dale and Simon, the fairy that Dale saw from yesterday approached him. She was followed by a tall man with long platinum blond hair. The man wore a light blue suit with a dragon patterned tie.

“Pardon me, but there is something I would to discuss,” the fairy said.

            Ken nodded his head. “Is it about Technoheart? We were about to start discussing the matter.”

The fairy chanted. After she finished her chant a grey crystal appeared in the fairy’s hand. “It’s much worse than Technoheart. I am Nastilda, queen of the fairies. My friend, Asula retrieved this from the Miraculus. Its power grows weaker as the Infernal Queen breaks out of her prison.”

The crowd gasped at the news. Dale had no idea of what was going on and the man that arrived with the fairy shook his head. Lily began tearing up at the revelation. Everyone was in confusion until the man standing by the fairy spoke up.

“I originally came here to discuss the Technoheart matter,” the man said.

Dale grew concerned as the man spoke. The man standing alongside the fairy was the same dragon that attempted to freeze him yesterday. Dale began to wonder if it was this dragon that he briefly saw in the sky.

“As a dragon and protector of one of the Great Falls, it is my business to know about these things,” the dragon continued. During my morning flight I didn’t find any abnormalities, but when I returned home I discovered an abandoned hoverbike and that my android went missing.”

“Get to the damn point already. We already have this Technoheart matter at hand,” Francisca said. It’s not likely the Infernal Queen is going to team up with that rouge AI, unless she plans to use that fricken maniac’s technology to create a body for the Infernal King.”

The dragon shrugged his shoulders. “It’s possible. The recent violence all throughout Winter Falls is an omen. Why Asula failed to disclose this to her fellow dragons is unknown. Perhaps, she believes a human from another realm could help. Isn’t that right, Dale?”

Dale looked the dragon in the eyes. He felt a cold chill on his back. Despite being in a humanoid form, the dragon’s cold stare sent shivers down his spine. Dale took a deep breath and tried to speak, only to realize that he was too unnerved to utter a single word.

“Pardon me Lord Clyde Winterdyne, but I believe this visitor from another world doubts what his place is in all this,” Ken said. “To be honest, I have my own doubts too. Can someone with so little knowledge about our world really save it? From the Infernal Queen to rouge ancient AI, Dale knows very little of our world history.”

Dale looked around the courtyard to get his mind off of Clyde’s cold and piercing gaze. Unfortunately, he couldn’t spot anything to help him regain self-esteem. However, the clouds began to grow darker and a slight trickle of rain fell from above. The sound of the raindrops was surprisingly soothing despite the serious atmosphere. He then turned his gaze back towards Clyde and the others and took a deep breath.

“To be honest I have no idea. All I remember is that Asula visited me in a dream last night,” Dale said. “She mentioned that there will be allies that would help me retrieve the Sword of Berthorn.”

Simon nodded his head. He then pulled out a blue disc. He pressed the crescent shaped indentation on the disc. The disc began to glow with a radiant light. The disc began to grow in size and as it grew lab equipment began appearing.

Dale looked on in fascination as the disc became a full-fledged lab. After a few minutes, the disc had fully transformed. Simon gestured those standing nearby to enter. As Dale walked towards the lab, he noticed Duke was walking in their general direction. Unlike earlier, Duke wore his bodysuit and his beard was no longer tied into a ponytail.

“That’s an awesome Portalab,” Duke said. “It’s definitely more impressive than some of the ones in Razulon. I wonder what Mr. Dante has on that AI. Let’s not keep everyone waiting.”

Dale and Duke enter the Portalab. Dale looked in awe at the various machines that were in operation. Simon stood in front of a holographic screen. The screen depicted a huge map of Winter Falls. In a few spots on the map Dale noticed red X’s in a few locations.

“Now that everyone is here I can show what I discovered about the Technoheart AI,” Simon said as he pointed at the screen. “These X’s represent where Technoheart has been spotted before midnight and just recently.”

Clyde’s eyes began glowing blue. The temperature in the Portalab dropped by ten degrees. “What’s the meaning of this! I programmed my android to never leave my property!” How could they have managed to wind up at Glasston University?”

The screen changed to a live news report. The headline read: Computer Virus Terrorizes Glasston University. Francisca began fuming with anger as the opening shot showed a few devastated buildings.

“What the hell!” Francisca said. “That’s my school for crying out loud! We got to stop that robot menace now!”

Simon shook his head and sighed. “I wish we could do something, but the Dean of Magic cast a barrier around the university. It might be too late since this live report is showing the aftermath.”

The temperature began to return to normal as Clyde calmed down. Dale surveyed the room and noticed that the atmosphere was still tense. Simon changed the holographic screen to a presentation. The first slide showed a technology institute named Technoheart Technologies.

“My research last night indicates that Technoheart takes over its victims. The victims, computers and various other machines, begin acting out of character,” Simon said.

Dale looked at the monitor. He tried to pay attention to Simon’s lecture, but the monitor began flickering. After a minute the screen changed to a video of a brown skinned woman standing over a pile of bodies. The woman’s eyes glowed red as she looked directly into the camera.

Simon stopped speaking as the woman on screen began working on a damaged robot. The robot had a masculine design, with life-like hair and grey synthetic skin. Behind the trees a fluffy tail was shaking in fear. The woman cleared her throat before she spoke to Dale and company.

“What do we have here?” the woman asked. “The people who destroyed my last body and the careless wrym who sends his robotic maid to take in a wrecked hoverbike, so he could enhance the tech in a magical invention.”

Clyde let out a low growl. It began hailing in the area where the corrupted android was filming. The hail was deflected by an invisible barrier. The fluffy tail disappeared as the wolf-like creature it was attached to climbed up the tree. The silhouette of the creature was anthropomorphic and heavily muscled. It was a wolf Lycantrian. The Lycantrian readied his bow and shot an arrow at the android.

As the arrow flew in the air electric sparks were coming off the arrow. The android dodged the arrow, but the arrow gave off a massive electrical discharge. The screen became pixelated as the signal coming from the camera went offline.

“That damn Technoheart!” Francisca said.

Francisca stormed out of the Portalab. Cylde sighed as he began to head towards the exit of the Portalab. He slowly began to transform into his dragon form.

“Track down Kiana and extract that computer virus from her,” Clyde said. “Do that Dale and I may help you restore the Sword of Berthorn. Failure to do bring back Kiana might ensure a frosty curse upon this realm.”

The prince and princess of Frostbech followed the enraged dragon out of the Portalab. Duke, Clair and Sally talked to Simon on how to stop Technoheart before she causes anymore destruction. The thought of the lone Lycantrian fighting off a psychotic AI had Dale concerned.

That wasn’t the only thing on his mind. Dale walked out of the Portalab as his thoughts rolled about in his mind like tidal waves crashing upon a beach. The mere thought of being the hero to prevent an apocalypse by the Infernal Queen and King, rouge AI, and whatever other evil secretly hidden in this strange world overwhelmed him.

Dale explored the castle grounds. As he explored, he tried to sort out what he had to do with saving Winter Falls. He finally came upon the royal training grounds. Dale saw people of various races training. He noticed that Francisca was training with an elf sharpshooter.

The elf was adorned in light crimson armor and she had her hair tied up in a bun. Before Dale could continue watching he felt a hand on his shoulder. Dale glanced over his shoulder and saw an orc dress in silver armor with a sheathed battle axe hanging from his side. The orc was as big and muscular as Simon and had long dreadlocks and a short goatee.

“It’s dangerous to wander the training grounds aimlessly,” the orc said. “Not to mention that the Brawl-a-thon will be wrapped up by a special match. Having a foreigner die will upset our queen.”

“Sorry. It’s just that I have a lot on my mind,” Dale said. “Coming from another world only to be told that I’m supposed to be a hero. It’s just too much to comprehend.”

The orc nodded his head. “I completely understand. Frostbech is one of the few kingdoms with such a diverse population and our world can confuse foreigners. It was a week ago that we encountered strange beings from the stars.”

Dale looked at the orc in confusion. Dale wasn’t expecting what seemed like a smart orc to start babbling about aliens. In fact, the orc’s rambling only confused matters. Dale sighed and began to walk away until the orc stopped him.

“If you want to ease your mind there’s someone here at the castle who could help you,” the orc said.

“There is?” Dale asked.

“There is, and her name is Professor Willow Weird. She a master psychologist who uses magic and science to study the mind.”

Dale nodded his head and began stretching. “Where is this Professor Weird?”

“She’s usually in the royal flower garden around this time,” the orc replied. “The garden is to the west of the training grounds.”

Dale thanked the orc and made his way toward the royal flower garden. As Dale arrived at the royal flower garden his nose was met with a variety of sweet aromas that wafted in the air. In the center of the garden a humanoid plant woman poured a bottle of water on herself as the sun’s brilliant rays hit her leaf-like hair.

The woman had a flower-like lower body which resembled a willow in full bloom. Upon noticing the young man before her, the plant smiled. As she smiled two flowers began to blossom in her evergreen hair.

“Greetings, I am Professor Willow Weird. I was just photosynthesizing,” the woman said. “I have to grow fresh new fruit for the Magernium Goblet. This batch of Magernium requires solar radiation.”

Dale looked on in confusion. What Professor Weird said was incomprehensible. He began doubting if this plant person could help quell his anxiety. Professor Weird walked over towards Dale and began assessing him.

“I see. You are weighed down by doubt and disbelief,” Willow said. “You feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. May I implore you to tell me what troubles you?”

Dale sighed and slowly shook his head. “Nothing in this world makes sense. I just got here yesterday from a world devoid of magic and less technologically advanced than this one and now I’m expected to save the world.”

Professor Weird nodded her head and began walking back and forth. She then stopped and snapped her fingers. A light breeze caused her leaf-like hair to rustle.

“You have too much on your mind. My suggestion is to not over extend yourself,” Willow said. “You made a few new friends here in our world and your journey has barely begun. Confide in your friends and help them in return. The Eternal King, the Triple God Almighticus, will guide you. He resides over your world and ours. I believe that knowledge about what He did is plentiful.”

Dale scratched his head in confusion. “Are you referring to Christianity? I don’t abide by any system of faith. It was never brought up while I was growing up; thank you for trying to cheer me up though. You remind me of my cousin, Ryan Lovecraft. He’s been trying to share his faith with the family since last year.”

Professor Willow Weird bent down and plucked a pink daisy and handed it to Dale. “Take this daisy. It may come in handy on your journey. Let us head to the conclusion of last night’s Brawl-a-thon. We can’t waste time while evil lurks in the world and within the shadows of hearts.”

Dale and Professor Willow Weird left the royal flower garden. Upon arriving at the stadium, Professor Weird was met by royal officials. She left with the officials to prepare the Magernium Goblet.

            The crowd was clamoring to enter the arena. Some fans even had Duke and Clair’s names on their shirts. Dale searched through the crowd to see anyone he could recognize. After scanning the area for a minute, Dale spotted Simon chatting with a group of people. The people were like Simon himself. They were huge hulking men and women with skin tones associated with Hulk characters from the comics or characters straight out of an anime.

            Before Dale could walk towards Simon, he was yanked out of the crowd. He then turned his head and noticed that it was Francisca. Francisca looked agitated. She pulled Dale towards the stadium doors without stopping.

            “What the hell were you thinking?” Francisca asked. “Those Magernites are VIPs for the closing ceremony. They’re here to produce the Magernium needed for the Magernium Goblet.”

            “How would they produce Magernium?” Dale asked. “Do they crush radioactive materials with their brute strength?”

            “Stop asking moronic questions.” Francisca said. “Sally was kind enough to save us seats. Stop acting like a complete a*s and enjoy the show. All your questions will be answered as the Brawl-a-thon closing ceremony begins.”
            Dale and Francisca made their way through the doorway. Francisca led Dale to the front row of the stadium. The area glistened with lights. Duke and Clair sat on opposite sides of the arena. The crowd grew silent as Ken descended into the arena via a hovering platform.

            Ken wore a white suit with a blue jacket. His hair was combed back, and he wore a silver bowtie. In his right hand he held the Magernium Goblet. The Goblet glistened as rays of light touched its surface.

            “Greetings ladies and gentlemen. Normally my sister Naomi would have concluded the Brawl-a-thon. Unfortunately, last night’s attack has left our dear queen severely injured and under the weather. She is being treated by medics and magicians as we speak.”

            Ken took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes. “In light of that we will witness a rare battle from two newly initiated Magernites. Before we can start, we must make a fresh batch of Magernium of Magernium. So, can our native Floropian and our past champions who were able to attend please make their way towards the arena?”

            The crowd cheered as Professor Willow Weird, Simon, and the other Magernites walked into the arena. The Magernites were carrying various radioactive materials. A normal human would succumb to radioactive poisoning, but since Magernites are a human subspecies created by a blend of magic and radiation they were immune to the contents that they were carrying.

            Willow Weird of the other hand was carrying the fruit that she had plucked from her head along with a magical tome. The crowd went into awe as the Magernium Goblet floated out of Ken’s hands and onto a table that began to emerge from the arena. The lights began to go dim until only a sole spotlight shined on the Magernium Goblet.

            However, the stage was illuminated as the Magernites began glowing. Willow began chanting from the tome. The fruit she was holding was transformed into juice as magical energy began filling the goblet. One by one the Magernites placed their radioactive materials into the goblet. The goblet began bubbling as the magical energy combined with the radiation.

            Finally, a huge surge of energy poured into the Magernium Goblet. After that the champions walked out of the arena. The Magernium Goblet floated in midair. Professor Willow Weird conjured two chalices out of thin air. She then poured the content of the Magernium Goblet into the two chalices. The liquid from the Goblet gave off a strange glow and even changed colors.

            “Can this season’s champion please come forward,” Willow said. “To close the Brawl-a-thon we need the champions to drink from these chalices. May Queen Naomi of Frostbech recover and let this be the start into a more interesting next season.”

            Duke and Clair walk towards the center of the arena. They both grab a chalice and nod at each other. They drank from the chalices and tossed the chalices into the air. The chalices disintegrated into magic dust. It was then that the two humans began to transform.

Duke and Clair began growing taller and more muscular. Clair’s skin began turning into a grey orange color while Duke’s skin took on a grey rosy hue. The transformation also caused Duke’s natural girth to grow too. By the time the transformation finished Duke and Clair were now strong Magernites. Dale marveled at the newly transformed Magernites as the crowd cheered.

            Duke and Clair then go at it. The atmosphere grew intense with every strike and counterstrike. The crowd began chanting both Duke and Clair’s name. Dale was dumbstruck as neither Duke nor Clair showed signs of slowing down. It was only thirty minutes later, that the referee had to call the match a draw, which was due to a new Technoheart sighting coupled with the elvin kingdom of Fatellan announcing a new magical and scientific breakthrough to all of Winter Falls.

            “That was amazing!” Dale said. “We have to subdue Technoheart and bring back Kiana’s body to Cylde. If we don’t do anything then the Infernal Queen will be free to carry out her plans.”

            Francisca smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes gleamed with a spark of determination. “Finally. As fun as watching two newly transformed Magernites duke it out I was itching to shoot up a robotic scumbag just about now.”

            “What about that Lycantrian?” Sally asked. “Are we just going to forget about him? For all we know he could be barely clinging to life.”

            “I consider him to be dead,” Francisca replied. There’s no way he could have survived. We barely survived last night’s encounter with Technoheart. It’s just that Dale’s dumb luck saved us from getting screwed over.”

            “We don’t know that,” Sally said. If we don’t try anything then that Lycantrian will die!”

            As Francisca and Sally kept arguing, Dale began to walk off. The two women immediately stopped bickering and followed Dale. Upon exiting the stadium, they were met by Nastilda the fairy queen.

            Nastilda was holding an orb in her hands. The orb glowed as Dale and his friends approached. Nastilda smiled upon seeing Dale, but then frowned when the orb stopped glowing. She sighed as she flew toward Dale and company.

            “It seems as the Miraculus weakens the more disasters seem to spring forth.” Nastilda said. “Fatellan’s newest breakthrough has me concerned. Will it change our world for the better or will it contribute to all this madness?”

            “What do you mean?” Dale asked.

            Nastilda handed Dale a charm. The charm was shaped like a cross. The charm was blue with gold trim and glistened in the sun.

            “This charm was designed to track abnormalities when plugged into an outlet,” Nastilda said.

            “So, this charm is like a flash drive, but with preinstalled programs on it?” Dale asked.

            Framcisca snatched the charm out of Dale’s hands. “That’s not the only thing. I’ve heard that faeries use Evolutionary Quantum programming to add the ability to install more on these charms. Simon would have a field day installing his research on one of these.”

            Dale heard the honk of a hovercar outside. Dale, Francisca, and Sally saw Simon waiting outside. Dale noticed that Simon wasn’t glowing like he was earlier, but he was dressed in a suit like both Clair and Duke. Dale and his friends approached the hovercar.

            “Hop on in guys,” Simon said. “I want to check out what’s going on in Fatellan. This new breakthrough is worth documenting.”

            Sally nodded her head. She proceeded to reach for the door of the hovercar. Dale and the others looked on in disbelief as Sally began to enter the hovercar. “As a battle mage I agree. I want to know what kind of magic was used.”

            “Sally, what about your sister?” Dale asked. “Shouldn’t you be congratulating her? Also, are you sure you should leave without letting her know where you are going?”

            “You have a point, Dale,” Sally said. “I’ll send her a text message. Lately, she and Duke have been acting flirtatious towards each other and she only met him a day ago.”

            “You already told us about Clair’s first boyfriend,” Francisca said. “Stop worrying about your sister and worry about what you want. If you worry about others too much it makes you an easy target to be manipulated. Now let’s get going. We’re burning enough daylight as it is.”

            Dale and Francisca boarded the hovercar. As Simon began to drive, he turned on some music. The music consisted of heavy metal combined with flairs of jazz. Dale looked out the window and saw other hovering vehicles glide seamlessly over the road. As Dale and his friends left Frostbech, he saw something glimmer in the distance.

            Within an hour, Dale and his friends were hovering across a green plain. Various kinds of wildlife could be seen, such as pink rabbits with butterfly wings, birds of various shapes and sizes, and much more. However, their peaceful ride was interrupted as they saw an injured man laying unconscious near his hoverbike.

            Simon stopped the hovercar and turned off the music he was playing on his radio. Dale and the other scrambled out of the hovercar to take a closer look at the man. Francisca was the first one to get out of the hovercar. She ran up to the man and noticed that he was taller than most humans, muscular in build, and that he had a broken bow on his person.

            Besides that, the man’s brown beard was soaked with blood and his injuries appeared as they were beginning to rapidly fade away as if he just had minor injuries. Dale, Sally, and Simon approached the man and then looked at each other in disbelief.

            “That’s the Lycantrian that fought against Technoheart!” Sally said. “Thank Almighticus he survived.”

            Simon shook his head and leaned down towards the unconscious Lycantrian. “Not exactly. It appears that he tried to pursue Technoheart and got badly injured to where he was left in a near death state. Right now, he seems to be in a coma and judging by the blood he’s been here for half an hour. His chance of surviving seems slim.”

            “Isn’t there anything you can do to save him?” Dale asked.

            Simon pulled out a strange triangular device out of his utility belt. The device had two antennas and a lightbulb attached to it center. “I can try using this Trispector to emit a medical healing spray made from Floropian leaves. However, that may only help a little.”

            Simon turned toward Sally. Sally looked at Simon and could feel everyone around her staring at her. This made her seem a bit uneasy until she looked back at the comatose Lycantrian who was laying in the threshold of life and death.

            “I could use healing spell on him. I’m not sure how helpful it could be, but it may help his odds of survival.”

            Sally began chanting. She placed her hands over the Lycantrian. A blue light of healing energy enveloped the unconscious Lycantrian. Simon turned on his Trispector. The Trispector’s lightbulb began glowing green. The antenna emitted a sweet scent that resembled cinnamon baked into a loaf of bread.

            The Lycantrain began twitching. Dale and the others looked on with cautious relief. Francisca turned towards Dale and tossed him an empty leather bag. Dale caught the bag and looked at it with no idea what he would need it for.

            “We can’t stand around like morons,” Francisca said. “We should find some Celadonis Nuts.”

            “What are Celadonis Nuts?” Dale asked.

            “Don’t tell me you haven’t learned anything while you were stumbling around the castle grounds earlier this morning,” Francisca said. “But knowing you our world is too vast for an idiot like yourself.”

            “I am not an idiot!” Dale said. “Do you consider how hurtful some of things you say are? You’re nothing more than a self-centered jerk who has to put everyone else down because you always believe that you are right no matter what.”

            Simon walked over towards Dale and Francisca. His expression was like a tiger getting ready to let loose. “Enough! If you two are going to act like juveniles then do it somewhere else. Can’t you see there’s a lot at stake here? So, let us gather these Celadonis Nuts and feed them to this Lycantrian once he fully wakes up. Celadonis Nuts are one of the best super foods in all of Winter Falls. They come from the magnificent Celadonis and are said to aid in body strengthening. They are said to grow all year round and are protected by a monster that is as sturdy as a tree and mightier than a mountain.”

            Francisca shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention towards Sally and the Lycantrian. “Are you sure it’s safe to leave her alone with that Lycantrian? He might rip her to shreds and why do you have to come with us? Don’t you have some sermon to listen to or a pregnant wife to call?”

            “I just feel like tagging along and to stop you two before you decide to kill each other,” Simon said. “Also, my wife has been craving Celadonis Nuts for a while. Besides, Celadonis Nuts are delicious!”
            Dale sighed and began walking towards the forest in west. A gentle breeze blew through the air as birds chirped a natural melody.

            “So, you have an ulterior motive,” Dale said. “We better get these Celadonis Nuts before nightfall. Lycantrians are a tribe of lycanthropes such as werewolves if I understand correctly. The sooner we do this the sooner we find Technoheart and get the first piece of the Sword of Berthorn.”

            Dale, Francisca, and Simon make there way to the forest. The forest was calm and quiet. Occasionally, a small animal would leap from one tree to another. At one point it appeared that a silhouette of an owl. Dale and his friends kept exploring the forest in hopes of finding the Celadonis.

            “We’ve been searching this forest for fifteen minutes and still haven’t found this Celadonis,” Dale said. “What does this tree even look like?”

            Simon pulled out a small tablet from his utility belt. He undid the tablet’s strap and pressed a button that was an inch below the screen. A hologram of a beautiful tree with multi-colored leaves and nuts forming from the white or sometimes yellow flowers.

            “So that’s what a Celadonis looks like,” Dale said.

            Francisca rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. “They say Celadonis trees are hard to find. Dr. Dante even said that they can never be found in the same spot. Some say that Celadonis trees are…”

            Francisca tripped over a large root that had somehow grown into the middle of the forest floor. Simon immediately offered to help her up. Francisca rejected Simon’s aid and preceded to get up on her own. Dale looked at the root carefully. The root began to slowly move back on its own accord.

            Dale turned his direction to where the tree root was receding. Dale’s gaze slowly went upwards until he noticed the Celadonis. However, he became unnerved when he noticed that the tree itself had humanoid characteristics; mainly those of an incredibly muscular man with a bushy beard comprised of leaves and wild long hair of a similar nature.

            Before Dale could utter a single word the Celadonis slowly opened his eyes. The Celadonis’s eyes glowed an eerie green and his smirk was a wicked grin of amusement. The Celadonis lowered his arms to his side and let out a low pitched whistled that reverberated throughout the forest.

            “This is unprecedented,” Simon said. “That is most likely a Floropian call to arms. Floropians can sometimes influence any animal, plant, or sometimes monsters to fight in their stead.”

            A booming roar could be heard from the distance. The ground began to shake as the mysterious creature drew closer. Dale turned his attention away from the Celadonis and towards the looming figure standing behind him. The creature was bear-like except that it had large horns on its head and a pair of silver angel wings on its back.

            “It’s a Panursa!” Francisca said. “These beasts are goddamn hard to kill and are often in charge of guarding forests and Floropians of high-ranking status. We’re royally screwed if that Panursa scratches us or rams us with its horns.”

            Dale attempted to reach for his electro sword, but he was quickly subdued when a vine wrapped around his feet and lifted him up into the air. Dale struggled again to reach for his weapon but given that he was hanging upside down and from the Celadonis’s shoulder branches complicated matters.

            “Guys! A little help please!”

            Dale attempted to reach his electro sword by singing back and forth so he could possibly land on the Celadonis’s shoulder. The Celadonis cackled when he spotted Dale attempting to free himself. The Panursa let out another roar and began to charge at Simon and Francisca. Francisca readied one of her guns while Simon activated his nanotech suit.

            Francisca loaded her gun and shot at the Panursa’s chest. A layer of ice began to wrap around the Panursa’s body. Simon skull-bashed directly into the Panursa. The Panursa was momentarily knocked off its feet. Simon used the opportunity to pull out a blaster from his utility belt and shoot at the vine that Dale was hanging from.

            Dale began to fall as the vine snapped. Dale braced for a nasty fall as he headed straight towards the ground. However, instead of meting his demise Simon leapt up and caught Dale. He then placed Dale behind a tree.

            “Thanks Simon,” Dale said.
            “No problem. Now let’s fight the Panursa and get those Celadonis Nuts,” Simon said.

            Simon and Dale sprang from the tree upon hearing the Panursa roar. The Panursa stood up and the ice on its body melted off. Also, the wounds that it received from Francisca and Simon began healing at an incredible pace.

            “That creature has a healing factor like Wolverine and Deadpool! “How are we supposed to beat it if it just keeps on healing?”

            “That’s why it’s a pain in the a*s to kill, Francisca said. “Now pull out your damn electro sword! It’s head straight towards you!”

            Dale drew his electro sword. The Panursa began charging towards Dale. Dale began to swing his electro sword at the Panursa. The Panursa attempted to maul Dale with its claws. Francisca quickly fired a few rounds at the Panursa.

            The Panursa burst into flames. The Panursa roared and turned its attention towards Francisca. The Panursa charged toward Francisca as it began to regenerate from its burns as the flames began to die down. Francisca tried firing another bullet, but her first gun was out of bullets.

            “Crap! Not now!”

            Francisca dove behind a tree and pulled out another gun. She proceeded to shoot the Panursa again, but it took off on its wings and flew into the air. The Celadonis cackled as the Panursa launched an energy ball out of its mouth and towards Francisca.

            “Fools! You really think you greedy humanoids can take my nuts and walk away,” The Celadonis said. I am the Floropian Arbor Celadonis! You pests make me sick! All you guys care about is pillaging the homes of wildlife so you can build your cities and towns. The world will be better off without you!”

            Simon jumped in front of the energy ball and use his experimental trinket to absorb the blast. Instead of being destroyed the trinket absorbed the energy and began glowing. The trinket began growing. Its wings grew larger and it developed four stubby legs, a short tail, and horns on its head. Finally, the trinket developed a face with small black beady eyes, and a bear-like muzzle with draconic features.

            Did Simon just somehow use that energy ball to complete one of his experiments? Dr. Dante is oddly resourceful, but I don’t think he was expecting this. Sometimes he’s one of those nutty guys who fail to realize that creating new lifeforms should never be attempted. Damn. Francisca thought.

            The creature turned around and looked at Simon. It then ran up to him and began rubbing itself against his leg. The Panursa stood there and observed as Simon’s creation nuzzled up to its creator. Arbor Celadonis was also caught off guard by the sudden emergence of the strange new lifeform.

            “What the heck? I’ve never seen a creature like this in the hundreds of years that I have been alive,” Arbor said.

            Simon picked up his creation and held it in his arms. “This little guy? I actually created him in my lab back home.”

            The area grew silent. Arbor’s face grew from fascinated to burning with anger. Celadonis Nuts began raining down towards the ground. The Panursa ran into the thickets as the nuts were hurled down to the ground.

            “Are you nuts? How can you create an adorable creature and not create a mate for it!” Arbor said. “Also, why you Frankenstein a new lifeform to begin with? Take all these nuts because that’s what you are. Humanoids like you are psychotic! You either create or destroy life. Heck, some of your cultures kill their own before their young are born. Now leave and don’t bother me again!”

            Dale and Francisca began picking up the Celadonis Nuts. However, Simon became wary once his new pet started growling. Simon noticed two vines slowly making their way towards Dale and Francisca. He then looked over towards Arbor and saw the Floropian grinning evilly as another vine began to grow from his hand.

            “Guys! Watch out!” Simon said.

            Dale, Francisca and Simon began fighting off Arbor’s vines. Arbor laughed psychotically as he kept attacking Dale and his friends. Arbor began to uproot his feet from the ground and slowly walked over to his targets. Dale, Francisca and Simon dodged Arbor’s attacks while destroying any vines that Arbor regrew.

            “You really think I would let you leave?” Arbor asked. “You guys can be so gullible. Nothing can stop me! You’ll all die before I let you leave with my Celadonis Nuts!”

            Arbor was about to attack with more vines, but a faint melody in the distance caused him to briefly pause. Dale and his friends paused and saw Professor Willow Weird playing music on a leaf. Arbor slowly began to fall asleep.

            “St…Stop!” Arbor said. “A… As your great grandfather… I… command you… to let… Zzz… me destroy… these… pests!”

            Arbor planted his feet in the ground and began dozing off. Willow began to stop playing music on the leaf that she was using. Dale, Francisca, and Simon looked at each other in confusion. Simon’s pet was sleeping soundly. Willow giggled upon seeing Simon’s pet.

            “It seems like you met my great grandfather Arbor,” Willow said. “And I see that you finally completed your new experiment Dr. Dante.”

            Simon motioned to his creation that was sleeping in his arms. Willow nodded and began looking over the new lifeform with curiosity. Simon was about to explain how his new lifeform came to be, but Francisca angrily approached Professor Willow Weird. Her eyes burned with anger as she looked up at the sleeping elder Floropian before redirecting her gaze at Willow.

            “What the hell!” Francisca said. “That is your great grandfather? He’s goddamn insane and nearly killed us!”

            “Sorry about that. Arbor really hates humanoids,” Willow said. “Long ago a group of humanoids burned down a Floropian forest. Even though these humanoids were led by the Infernal King, my great grandfather believes that all humanoids are the same.

Willow looked towards the sky and sighed. She then planted a few of the Celadonis Nuts and watered them with a water bottle. Willow pointed towards the nuts that were lying on the ground. “Go and be free to collect these Celadonis Nuts. Also, your friend out in the plains is waiting for you. It’s about your new werewolf companion.”

            Willow walked farther into the forest. She began playing on her leaf as she continued strolling through the forest. Dale and his friends resumed gathering the Celadonis Nuts on the ground. The nuts resembled a cross between an acorn and a walnut, but with a slightly spikey shell and rounded edges.

            After Dale, Francisca, and Simon collected enough nuts they proceeded back to where they left Sally and the comatose Lycantrian. As they were leaving the forest, they heard birds chirping and the singing of gnomes who were harvesting fruit from the various trees and bushes. Upon seeing the clearing, they heard a woman shriek. This was followed by the sound of a hovercar starting up.

            Dale and the others ran as fast as their feet could carry them. When they arrived, they saw Sally panicking as the Lycantrian was driving off with Simon’s hovercar. Simon placed his new creation on the ground and pulled out a remote from his pocket. Simon quickly pressed a button on his remote.

            The hovercar slowly came to a halt. The Lycantrian leap out of the hovercar and began screaming. Francisca sighed as she loaded a gun with a tranquilizer dart. Francisca slowly aimed her gun and fired. The dart whizzed through the air with grace.

            The Lycantrian sniffed the air and did a backflip. He narrowly dodged the dart. The Lycantrian attempted to jump back into the hovercar. However, the door was locked. The Lycantrian pulled out a lockpick and began picking the lock.

            Simon sighed and pressed another button on his remote. As the Lycantrian continued picking the lock a jolt of electricity traveled through the lockpick and electrocuted the Lycantrian. The Lycantrian dropped his lockpick and began breathing heavily.

            “We’re gone for two hours and the Lycantrian we rescued tried stealing our ride?” Francisca asked. “What the hell happened?”

            Sally took a breath and sighed. She looked at the Lycantrian who stood by the hovercar in a dazed state of confusion. “He panicked and tried running away. He startled me when he picked the lock to the hovercar and began messing around with the wiring. I tried asking him who he was, but he just began panicking even more.”

            Dale looked over at the Lycantrian man. The man was startled and began looking down towards the ground. He then cautiously approached the frightened Lycantrian. “Pardon me, but are you alright sir?”

            The Lycantrian looked up and saw Dale walking towards him. The Lycantrian sighed and shrugged his shoulders.” Who are you people and more importantly how did I get here?”

            “We found you lying unconscious,” Dale said. “My friends helped you recover. What is your name? My name is Dale.”

            The Lycantrian was confused. He began searching his pants for his wallet. He pulled out his wallet and showed Dale his driver’s license.

            “According to this card my name is Magnus Apollon. Other than that, I have no memory of where I came from except that I was fighting a robotic woman.”

            Simon picked up his pet and walked towards Dale and Magnus. He pressed the remote to open the hovercar. He then placed his new lifeform into the backseat and gently closed the hovercar to not disturb the lifeform from its slumber. He then faced Magnus.

            “So, you have amnesia,” Simon said. “Given the amount of time you were knocked out and the trauma you sustained that’s understandable. However, that does not give you the right to steal my hovercar and tamper with it! Try that again I’ll tranquilize you, handcuff you, and have you arrested by the authorities. Do I make myself clear?”

            Magnus shrugged his shoulders. “Calm down big purple dude. What would you do if you woke up with no memory except the last person you saw? Not to mention that said person tried to kill you.”

            Magnus opened the door to the hovercar. “Also, you should thank me for fixing your car. Your mapping AI was outdated and wasn’t synced up to the satellite systems that it was trying to connect to. While I tinkered with your software the AI pinpointed something called the Technoheart virus near Fatellan.”

            “We have no time to waste,” Simon said. “This Technoheart virus is currently inhabiting the same android that attacked you. My friends and I have been tasked by a dragon to retrieve the android’s body. Or I should say that it is Dale’s quest per se.”

            Magnus nodded his head. “I would like to help, but I don’t trust strangers. Who are you?”

            Simon introduced himself and the others. Magnus continued entering the hovercar and sat next to Simon’s sleeping lifeform. Dale and the others hopped in the hovercar and proceeded towards Fatellan.

Author's Note

Give constructive criticism when reviewing. Also, point out what areas can be modified so I can make the necessary corrections. Keep in mind that some parts mentioned throughout the chapter may be expanded upon in future chapters if they are not fully explained here.