Well, time to update this before it falls under 'hiatus' again.
Disclaimer: Still don't own Ni No Kuni… well, I own the videogame material-wise, but not company-wise… ah you get it.
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Tracker was in the process of braiding Esther's hair when she heard Marcassin shout. "Huh?" the she-wolf gasped, turning around. "What is it?"
"What's wrong?" Esther asked, standing up and turning towards her friends.
"That… that creature behind you…!" Marcassin replied frantically, pointing at Tracker.
"Hello, Tracker." Vincent replied, as calm as if shooting the breeze.
"Jeepers creepers, so this is what she's like!" Oliver replied, walking up to Tracker.
"Crikey, an' I thought we saw 'nough Howlunars at th' village!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed.
"Howl-what-ers?" Tracker questioned.
"Apparently, you're not the only wolf-girl in this world." Swaine told her. "We saw a whole pack of them at Midnight Manor,"
"Midnight Manor? Where's that?" Esther asked.
"It's by the Tombstone Trail." Oliver explained, then took out his map, showing her the newly-marked location. "We met an acro… acrypt… A vampire there. He told us how it was hidden during the Wizard War, and that there's three other hidden locations."
"And in one of those locations there's a Purcroser there, who may have some insight about this Cobayne and Phiroseth people who are after us," Marcassin added, though kept giving Tracker glances, rubbing his chin. "(…simply remarkable…)"
"Sounds like a lot happened during your errand," Tracker guessed.
"Oh, yeah, the Everlasting Ivy!" Oliver exclaimed, taking the plant out. "We found it too,"
"Excellent! Tengri, we'll be able to cure you now!" Esther said to the dragon, who seemed to growl happily.
"First things first," Marcassin said, taking the plant and gathering some water, Sage's Secret, and carrots from the pack. "Oliver, could you bring out Al-Khemi?"
Oliver nodded, then pulled out the cauldron from his bottomless-bag, setting it down and taking off the lid. Smoke billowed out for a bit until Al-Khemi appeared…wearing sunglasses, a straw hat, and sipping an umbrella-drink for some reason. "Ah, young master, I was wondering when you were going to invite me on your vaca-" he began to say, until he noticed the strangers. "Whoa! Master, you should really warn me when there's company present!" he quickly dove into the cauldron, coming back out in his turban, while holding a sword and shield. "Tell me, who are these strangers- friends, or foes?"
"Friends! Definitely friends!" Tracker said quickly.
"Hi!" Zeke said, waving.
"Al-Khemi, we need you to make us an antidote for Tengri. Here's the supplies," Esther said, as Marcassin brought forth the ingredients.
"We need you to make an everlasting-vision serum, to cure his blindness." Marcassin said. "He was poisoned by an undead beast,"
"Hmm, it's been many centuries since I have had to make a serum out of an Everlasting Ivy. Luckily, making a potion is like riding a bicycle, you never forget!" Al-Khemi said.
"How could ya even ride a bike, mun? Ye don't even have legs!" Mr. Drippy pointed out.
"Er… well… ah, you know what I mean! One moment!" Al-Khemi threw the ingredients into the cauldron and shook it up. "It will take a couple minutes. Perhaps you could introduce me to our new allies- or do I have to challenge them to battle in order to prove their worth?"
"Uh, no need, Al! This is Vincent, Zippy, Zeke, and Liz-" Oliver began to introduce.
"Tracker when I'm like this," Tracker reminded him.
"Oh, right. They come from my world, and they're going to help us look for someone called the Purcroser,"
Al-Khemi threw the pot into the air, eyes wide with shock. "The Purcroser?!" he repeated, completely stunned.
"Heads up!" Zippy shouted as she looked up, taking a step to the left as the cauldron fell.
*Clang!*
"OOF!" Swaine grunted, as the cauldron landed on him.
"Nice catch, thief." Zippy said, lifting the pot off him. He only sneered at her.
"Al-Khemi, what's wrong? Do you know the Purcroser?" Esther asked.
"Know him?! My dear familiar-taming friend, the Purcroser is the most powerful being in this world… as well as the most dangerous! Many a djinn like myself have been driven to extinction by his kind!" Al-Khemi stammered.
"Flippin' heck, are ye serious?!" Mr. Drippy asked.
"Of course I am! Have none of you noticed that there are not many genies to be found?"
"Now that you mention it, I've never seen any…" Oliver realized. "You mean the Purcroser drove you to extinction?"
"Practically, yes! Eons ago, djinns used to roam freely through the world with many masters, being the key alchemists for everyone to look up to! Then, the Purcrosers came- a race of powerful beings, who scattered my kind throughout the world, often harvesting us for our magic! It went on for centuries, until the Wizard War broke out… suddenly, there was no word of the Purcrosers, my last master even believing them to be a legend when I asked him of it."
"But, if the Purcroser is so bad, why did Elric claim he may be able to help us?" Marcassin questioned.
"Al-Khemi, are you sure all Purcrosers were like that?" Vincent asked.
"By the way, you can take your cauldron back now," Zippy stated, holding up the pot to the genie, who was just hovering there in a cloud.
"Yes… although… there was one…" Al-Khemi began, but shook his head. "No, never mind. It was only a fable!"
"Tell us, was there one who was good?" Zeke pressed.
"I had heard a tale, once, about a Purcroser who was more powerful than all others, who managed to defeat the rest of his kind in order to prevent total destruction of our world… But it was merely one of many rumors about how they came to vanish! Another tale involved that the Purcrosers all fought amongst themselves, arguing over who should be supreme ruler, ending up killing one another. …Then there was one that involved a chicken…"
"Perhaps there's a chance that this Purcroser is good, if Elric spoke so highly of him," Zippy stated. "Oh, and Al, you can take your cauldron back now."
"But how do we know we can trust Elric? …After that joke he pulled, I'm wary about what side he's on," Swaine questioned.
"He said he'd never side with someone like Phiroseth. We should trust his word until proven guilty," Vincent answered.
Swaine looked at him. "What makes you think we can trust your judgment? You're still a stranger to us!"
"You're one to talk- Oliver trusted you, and you stole from him!"
"Al. You can… Take your… cauldron… back… now…" Zippy grunted, the cauldron beginning to grow heavy in her grasp… and it was starting to boil over!
"How do you know so much about us?! And I want the truth this time!" Swaine snapped at Vincent.
"Yes, how is it that you know about my master, and how did you come to this world-" Al-Khemi began to ask.
"TAKE THE CAULDRON NOW! FOR GOD'S SAKE, TAKE IT NOW!" Zippy shouted at the top of her lungs, startling everyone.
"Ah! Nearly forgot!" Al-Khemi gasped, taking the cauldron and giving it a good shake, preventing it from boiling over any further, and took out a purple vial with a golden-glow to it. "Here is your antidote for your dragon, young master."
"Thank you, Al." Oliver said, taking the vial and walking over to Tengri. "And I still think we should look for this Purcroser. We won't know if he's dangerous or helpful, unless we find out."
"In that case, young master, please keep my cauldron well-hidden until you know their true nature!"
"Don't worry, Al, we won't let anything happen to you!" Zeke assured him.
"I heard many a man say that to one of his companions, and many of the results turned out opposite."
"Speaking of 'true natures'…" Swaine muttered, giving Vincent a glare, the Black Alchemist returning the glance.
"Oh, Swaine, don't start! They're in just as much trouble as we are," Esther scolded. "I think we can trust them,"
Swaine crossed his arms and gave her a look. "Since when are you a good judge of character?"
"Only when I have the mind to leave you behind,"
"Alright, that's enough, th' lot o' ya!" Mr. Drippy snapped. "If youe're goin' tah be bickerin' this whole trip, we won't have a chance against this 'Phiroseth' buggar!"
"Um, we probably won't have much of a chance now, Mr. Drippy." Tracker spoke up. "We still haven't exactly mastered our skills in your world,"
"Yeah- I might as well test out Mandible to see how well it holds up in battle," Zippy said, taking out her new sword.
Tracker did a double-take. "Where did you get that sword?!"
"Vampire salesman."
"Another one?! I hope you made sure this one had a license…"
"Kyyaaah!" Tengri exclaimed, then shot up in the air, doing loops and barrel-rolls, before landing back onto the beach.
"Tengri's vision is clear! We can get flying!" Oliver exclaimed.
"Hold it, young master. If you don't pardon my speaking, your new companions have brought up their lack of skill in our world, and your thieving friend questions exactly where they stand in your quest." Al-Khemi stated.
"Nothing a bit of practice and anger-management can't solve," Zippy replied.
"Do not be so sure of yourself, dear boy. A mystic being like myself can clearly see that you will need a proper test in order to go anywhere with my master!"
"…and yet you clearly didn't notice that I'm a girl, not a boy."
Al-Khemi blinked. "Oh… Well, never-mind that! I believe there's one way to solve this…" he then reached into his cauldron, and once again pulled out his sword and shield! "In BATTLE!"
"Al-Khemi, wait!" Esther gasped, running forth.
Vincent raised his hand, stopping her. "No, no, Esther… Let us prove ourselves," he said, while giving Swaine a glance out of the corner of his eye. "Plus, I believe this test is our level. Bring it on, Al!"
"And so it begins!" Al-Khemi declared, and lunged.
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Phiroseth stood on a cliff's edge, centered a distance away from the cavern, watching as Cobayne walked up the path towards him. "What news do you bring?" Phiroseth asked.
"Our accomplice is willing to help. She claims she will take great pleasure in fulfilling the task, if…" Cobayne answered.
"'If'?"
"She demands payment. She claims she wants one of the princes that accompany our foes."
"Which? The eldest, or the youngest?"
"Whichever one that one of those wenches grows most attached to. She has a way of stealing something that one finds to have… sentimental value."
"She may have either, the Porcine Princes are no burden for me. …What position are our foes now, Cobayne?"
"I had a vision, master, such is why I had to make haste. It appears that other soothsayer, Elric, has informed them of us. He also told them of the Purcroser… and the Black Alchemist acquired the wand, Evokre."
"Hmph. That damn acrybat always has to meddle…"
"Shall I dispose of him?"
"Save your power, that mere wand-maker's demise would be pointless… especially if the Black Alchemist has Evokre. Do you remember the tale of that wand, Cobayne?"
"I may never forget, all the outcomes it lead to for the weak at heart…"
"Yes… and if he told them about the Purcroser, certainly he told them about the mysterious locations, did he not?"
"Indeed. They will be searching for him soon,"
"Let them search… Let us see how close they come, before they fall. You do know when to strike, don't you?"
"When opportunity shows itself."
"Good… Make sure they don't get far, Cobayne."
"Not within a mile,"
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"I can't feel my arms…" Zeke groaned.
"That's because they're flailing around in the sand, still!" Zippy replied, swinging her sword and blocking Al-Khemi's attack, while Tracker shot at him from the side. "Pull yourself together, bro!"
Vincent was waving his wand, conjuring up a fireball (having memorized the spells by heart while playing the game). The genie lunged at him next, then unleashed his move Al-Khombo, the Black Alchemist moving quick to avoid losing his arms as well. Vincent then used the spell 'Evenstar', catching the djinn off-guard.
"How did he know that spell?" Oliver whispered to himself.
Al-Khemi shook off his daze, then dove into his cauldron. "Is he forfeiting? Please tell me he's forfeiting," Tracker asked as the cauldron began to shake and smoke.
"I'll tell you this: TAKE COVER!" Vincent shouted.
*KA-BOOM!*
A fiery explosion erupted from the cauldron, Tracker jumping behind a rock just in time, Vincent having dove behind it seconds before her. They stepped out as the smoke cleared, seeing Al-Khemi rummaging through his cauldron, pulling out various objects. "Confound it, where did I put it?!" he was muttering.
*Plop! Thud! Thunk!*
Zeke's head, left foot, and right leg hit the sand. "I think I'm going to be sick…" Swaine groaned.
"Shaddap and just help me gather myself, would you?" Zeke muttered.
"Where's… the rest of you?" Oliver asked.
Zeke motioned left, right, and upper-left with his eyes. "Over there, over there, and up there."
"Hey… where's Zippy?" Tracker asked, looking around…
…seeing all that remained of their friend was a pair of shoes. "Oh my gosh, he blew up Zippy!" Esther gasped.
"Give it a minute," Zeke said, looking up, in time for the others to hear a descending whistle.
"A-ha!" Al-Khemi exclaimed, bringing out his fire-sword. "And now, back to bat-"
*THUD!*
Zippy fell from the air and landed on his shoulders, stuffing him back in his cauldron, as she leaped back onto the sand, her skin lightly blackened with soot. "Whoo! Nothing like an explosion to really get ya fired up!" she exclaimed.
Al-Khemi tugged himself out of the cauldron, fuming. "Why you-!" he then lunged, both of them clashing swords, though the genie's stamina was beginning to run low.
Tracker ran and lunged, attacking him from behind and flipping the cauldron over- which, somehow ended up 'tripping' the genie, as if she were just pushing him over. Vincent used an "Arrow of Light" followed by "Mornstar", while Zippy continued to duel against the fiery blade.
Zeke, once he managed to reconnect, ran toward Al-Khemi, kicking and punching him- not really able to do any damage, but only distract him enough for the others to inflict him. "Try not to get sliced this time," Zippy said to him.
"As long as you watch where you're swinging!" Zeke gasped as he dodged one of Zippy's swings.
Al-Khemi then spun around, swinging his sword, the others dodging. Tracker leaped up high, pouncing on him and pinning him into the sand, making him drop his fire-sword. Zeke quickly grabbed it, and they surrounded the genie.
"It appears… (pant pant) you have past my test… (wheeze)" Al-Khemi gasped as Tracker stepped off him. "Very well. You may travel with my master and his comrades."
"Exactly what we were aiming for," Zippy replied, sheathing her sword.
"But, I must know… who exactly are you? An immortal, a wizard who knows so much for being a novice, a She-Howlunar, and a… transvestite who's immune to explosions. How is it that you could defeat me so quickly?"
"We've faced worse, Al. We're used to the unexpected and hectic," Vincent answered.
"I see. I should keep that in mind, next time I have to challenge another!"
"If you want some tips, let me know." Zippy said, giving him a pat on the back. "So! Should we hop on Tengri and get searching?"
"Can we take a break first?" Zeke asked, out of breath.
"Why do you need to rest? You were lying around the beach half the time!"
"In PIECES!"
Tracker walked over to Tengri, both of them exchanging a couple growls. "Tengri says that he's tired, too." She told the others.
"How could he be tired? I figured he would be restless after lying down all day!" Swaine questioned.
"Well, the serum is said to make the patient drowsy, and rest is required." Marcassin replied, rubbing his chin. "Perhaps a couple more hours will do,"
"Sure, after all, it's just an evil warlord raising beasts from the dead who's hunting us down, no need to rush." Zippy commented with a shrug.
"You seem awfully cool about it." Swaine scoffed.
"Meh, we've been through situations like this plenty of times,"
"Yep. Large percent of danger, little chance of survival… what're we waiting for?" Tracker added.
"Well, since we're jus' gonna sit 'round, we might as well check out Smiley and Surly's show. Starts in half an houer," Mr. Drippy stated.
"Sounds good to me," Esther said.
"Lets go, we should get there early before it gets too crowded," Oliver agreed, and everyone began walking off.
"Some entertainment does sound good," Al-Khemi said, hopping along in his cauldron.
Swaine sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah… might as well," he muttered.
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A/N: Next episode, some comedy. …Also, I included lines from the "Sam and Max" comics, Jeff Dunham's 'Achmed the Dead Terrorist' skits, and "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King". …They just kept coming to mind, so I felt I could include them.
Well, so far not much development amongst characters. Swaine's still suspicious, and the others are still bewildered. Sooner or later they'll learn the truth. ;)
Please review, but no flames unless you want to end up over there, over there, and up there next.