Chapter Fifty-two: Persuasion
The Golem gasped for air. No matter how much it kicked against the current, it did not move. Why'd I tell them that this canyon has some of the roughest waters in the world?
The monsters kicked, flailed, punched as they fought the waters. Some surfaced occasionally, but the current quickly pulled them underneath.
The Red Dragons watched above. One's arms were crossed, and it grinned.
The waters moved downward, revealing the Golem's head. It saw the Red Dragons. They must not be able to swim. Can't swim… It chuckled.
A Red Dragon swooped near it. "What are you laughing about?"
The Golem's eyes widened momentarily. It attempted to hide its smile, but to no avail. It allowed the current to force it underwater.
"Do not avoid my questions."
The Golem watched the monsters struggle. Masked Tribesmen were maskless and seemed to fight the most. With their stubby arms and legs, they can barely make it.
The Crescent Baron flashed into its mind's eye. Before they had dove into the waters, it told the Golem that it did not know how to swim.
"That's all right." The Golem had pounded a hand onto its chest. "I'll teach you." It grabbed the Crescent Baron and drew it near its body while the Red Dragons' attention was focused on a Masked Tribesman that stared, trembling, at the waters. The Golem dove into the river.
The current had wrenched the Crescent Baron from the Golem's grip and forced it past the Golem. The Golem watched it flail into another Golem. The Golem gathered the Baron into its arms.
"I'll teach you how to swim."
"But they will kill you."
"We're the rulers. It's our job to protect you."
A Red Dragon had neared them. "Why do you not allow that monster to train?"
The Golem looked up. "He can't swim."
"Release him, and he will learn on his own."
"No, he'll drown. And you guys can't swim, either, so why don't you get in here and learn?"
The Red Dragon had released a roar. It grabbed the Golem's protruding shoulder and lifted it and the Crescent Baron. It plucked the Crescent Baron from its arms and threw the Golem into the wall. Boulders fell on it, and it lay, motionless.
At least he didn't disintegrate.
The Golem winced as its neck tightened, making breathing more difficult. It squinted up. The Red Dragon had reached into the current and gripped its neck, forcing it to still. The Red Dragon pulled it out of the water.
"Answer me."
"J-just imagining what I'll do to, to…" Max, Monica, Gokuu, and Lin popped into its mind. It shut its eyes.
"Not even a good liar. Tell the truth."
"But you'll kill me."
The Red Dragon pointed to the unconscious Golem. "We did not kill him. We will not kill any monster to guarantee the humans' death the next time they dare enter this canyon."
The Golem looked at the monsters struggle.
"Tell the truth."
It snickered. "You guys can't swim."
The Red Dragon's cheeks swelled, and a red shine encompassed them. It carried the Golem to the ground, upon which it placed the Golem. The Red Dragon landed before it.
"Fight me."
The Golem panted. It looked down at the Red Dragon, whose blush remained.
It nearly burst into laughter.
The Red Dragon struck the Golem's face, and the Golem flew backward. It rolled on the ground and then came to a stop. It placed its hands on the ground and shook as it attempted to stand.
The Red Dragon walked to it, its feet before the Golem's head. "You must be alert at all times."
"I know." The Golem staggered to its feet.
"What were you thinking about?"
"J-just about my little miss, sir."
The Red Dragon scowled. "Keep your fantasies in your bed at night. Now is not the time."
It inhaled, preparing to release a fireball. The Golem relaxed its body and looked around for someplace to dodge. Max, Monica, and Gokuu had leaped backward each time a Dragon had released a fireball.
I hope they're training right now. If they're at the same level they were when they fought against the normal Dragons, they don't stand a chance. But by now, they should've gotten stronger.
It clutched its stomach, which felt as though someone had flipped it upside-down.
A red glow appeared in the Red Dragon's nostrils. Despite the Golem's efforts to force its body to do the opposite, its body tensed. It leaped backward, yet the fireball chased it.
I hope they can defeat these guys.
The fireball exploded, covering its vision in red.
"Upgrades, eh?"
"Yeah. You promised, Kamesennin."
"I never did, but that doesn't mean I won't give them to you. Follow me."
The five followed Muten Roushi to Heim Rada's stop. They entered the Blackstone One's last car. Conda sat on a bench near the back.
Conda hopped onto his feet. "Ah, long time no see, Max, Monica, Gokuu." He adjusted his glasses. "I'm afraid I haven't met your tall friend and your little bald friend yet."
Kuririn's shoulders slumped. "L-little bald friend…"
Conda walked to Kuririn and looked him up and down. Kuririn leaned backward.
"A bit too young to be losing hair, aren't you, lad?"
Kuririn straightened. "I always cut it off myself. I can grow hair."
"What d'you look like with hair?" Gokuu said.
He scratched the back of his head. "You probably wouldn't be able to recognize me."
"Focus, everyone," Muten Roushi said.
"Y-yes. I'm Kuririn, Mr. Conda." He bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And I'm Yamcha. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you all, too. I'm the leader of a Firbit tribe. Ever seen Firbits before?"
"Not once."
Kuririn shook his head. "No, sir."
"Ah, well, this is a grand day in your lives. It's your first time seeing one of the majestic creatures called Firbits."
Kuririn narrowed his eyes. Majestic?
Conda stood on his toes and waved his cane. "I haven't seen any of you in so long. Buruma and the others had to keep giving me updates on how you were doing. Her, Kamesennin, the pig, and the cat are the only ones who come in this car to see me." He stroked his beard. "Then again, you do need Georama supplies."
The group stared at him.
"I'm just saying, it'd be nice if you visited every once in a while, even when you don't need Georama supplies. I've been awfully lonely since I left the rest of my tribe in Sindain. Buruma told me to drop them off there in case some Red Dragon monsters attack."
"Why didn't you go back with them?" Monica said. "Aren't you afraid of the Red Dragons?"
"You all still need Georama supplies, I'm sure."
She rolled her eyes. And you need to keep making money, I'm sure.
"They might knock everything down anyway," Yamcha said. "Buruma said she'd stop rebuilding just in case. Everything's stalled until we defeat them."
Conda looked out the window. "Oh, that's unfortunate."
"The first half of the Red Dragons should be here soon. We should be able to"—He glanced at Monica—"negotiate with them." He cracked his knuckles. "And if that doesn't work, we kill them. Simple as that."
"We just need the shells," Muten Roushi said. "Are they still here?"
"Of course they are." Conda pointed to the bench on which he had sat. "Right under here."
Muten Roushi dragged six shells, one by one, from under the bench. "They're all much heavier in weight." He pointed to one of the largest four. "Gokuu, get yours first."
Gokuu slid his shell's straps off. The shell fell, and the car shook. Conda grabbed a bench.
"Please take it off gently next time," Muten Roushi said.
"I will. Sorry, Conda."
Gokuu lifted the new shell using both hands. He slipped its straps onto his shoulders. His body sunk several inches. "Whoa. How much does this weigh?"
"The ones you, Kuririn, Yamcha, and I will be training with are 250 pounds." He gestured toward two shells. "Kuririn, Yamcha."
Kuririn and Yamcha slid the straps onto their shoulders and then shrugged the shells nearer to their bodies. Kuririn stumbled sideways, tripped over his feet, and placed a hand on a bench. He pushed himself upright and grinned at Gokuu.
"Oh, man." Yamcha resisted the urge to steady himself using a bench and stumbled backward. "Yep, we'll definitely be ready for the Red Dragons."
Muten Roushi equipped the remaining largest shell. He straightened, and his body did not waver. "Whew." He pointed to the smallest. "That's yours, Miss. It's 120 pounds this time."
"Fifty more pounds." Monica gripped the shell using both hands. She lifted it and placed it upon her back. "Hey, I did it by myself this time." She fell on the train bench.
"And the last one's yours, Max," Muten Roushi said as Monica grounded her feet and attempted to stand.
"I'm guessing 150 pounds, right?"
"That's right."
Max slipped the shell's straps onto his shoulders. He staggered backward, tripped over the shell he had unequipped, and fell onto Monica, who had recently stood. They fell onto the bench.
"Oops. Sorry, Monica."
Monica gasped, arms flailing and eyes threatening to roll back. "I, I can't breathe."
Max's eyes widened, and he planted his feet to stand.
"How do you stay balanced, Muten Roushi-sama?"
"It comes with age and wisdom."
Kuririn's eyebrows furrowed. "Wisdom?"
"Now, hurry to Mount Gundor and bring the monsters back here."
Max pushed himself onto his feet. Monica released a breath and ground her feet. Once she stood, she ran, swerving, to the door, the boys behind her. They left the train.
"Brutal training," Conda said.
"Thank you."
The five ran down the path leading to the hot springs. Rifle Wolves sat on the ledges, dipping their feet into the hot springs. Some polished their rifles, and others conversed with one another. Stick Joes floated above.
"So these are the monsters you gathered so far," Max said.
Kuririn grinned. "Yep. But if there really are so many Red Dragons, we'll need a lot more. Like, every monster in Mount Gundor. If we can get every monster, we should have a pretty good chance of taking the Red Dragons down."
"With every single monster in Mount Gundor," Yamcha said, "we should have a great chance."
Gokuu cracked his knuckles. "I can't wait to fight 'em." He looked around. "Which one has the Gate Key?"
Kuririn pointed to the Rifle Wolves. "They do."
A Rifle Wolf walked to them, a diamond-shaped rock in hand. "Looking for this?"
Kuririn took the rock. "Sure am. Thanks for holding it."
"No problem." The Rifle Wolf's eyes moved over the trio.
"Oh, right, you never met them." Kuririn introduced the trio to the Rifle Wolf. The trio greeted it. The Rifle Wolf returned their greetings and introduced itself. Kuririn translated and then explained where the trio had gone while he and Yamcha recruited the monsters.
The Rifle Wolf rubbed its chin. "Starlight Canyon, huh? That's near Rainbow Butterfly Wood. Been there?"
Kuririn gestured toward the trio. "They have. Yamcha-san and I joined them a little later."
"My brethren, the Hunter Foxes, are there. I wonder how they're doing."
"I'm sure they're fine." Kuririn faced Mount Gundor. "Anyway, we gotta get going. We'll be back with a few more monsters. You sure you can't help us recruit them?"
"The monsters here are very hardheaded." It shook its head. "I don't think we would help your case, as ironic as that is." It smiled. "Just tell them what you told us—if they refuse to cooperate, you'll kill them, and the Red Dragons'll kill them no matter what happens."
Kuririn scratched his cheek. "W-well, we're trying to avoid the whole killing thing now. It's really not necessary."
"Oh, pacifists, are you? A stark contrast to the other humans we've heard about." It looked into the distance. "But the Red Dragons seem to be acting differently toward the monsters in Starlight Canyon. They're being awfully nice, training those monsters and all." It snorted. "We wish we got that sort of treatment here."
"I see. All right, thanks for the help."
The five turned and ran toward Mount Gundor, the monsters waving. Kuririn translated his conversation with the Rifle Wolf.
"But they're monsters," Yamcha said. "Why can't they help? To me, 'very hardheaded' is too flimsy a reason."
"I'm sure they'd help if they could," Max said. "After all, it looks like they're not doing anything in the hot springs, and the moon monsters just need to stay in the moonlight every night. They're not doing anything during the day, except training, maybe."
"Training's pretty important," Monica said. Gokuu nodded.
The five ran in silence for several minutes. Out of the corner of his eye, Max saw the diamond-shaped rock, and he looked at it.
What kind of material is it made of that keeps it from melting in Mount Gundor? Would it melt near the mouth?
Monica noticed him staring. "As you guys have already figured out, that's how we go from one floor to the next. It's called a Magma Rock."
"Magma?" Kuririn turned the rock over in his hands. "But it's not even hot."
"It's called that because magma forms rock. The guys at Gundorada Workshop would take the rocks that the magma created and chisel smaller pieces, small enough to fit in the geyser, light enough for the smoke to lift it, and large and sturdy enough to carry people so they could travel throughout Mount Gundor. They placed them in the geysers and, usually, the rocks stay there. But I think Griffon took all the Magma Rocks and gave them to the monsters somehow to give us a harder time. As far as I know, monsters don't have an interest in rocks."
"We haven't heard from Griffon in a long time," Yamcha said. "Wonder what he's up to, other than attacking the west."
"Probably watching us like he always does."
The five arrived at the first floor's exit. Kuririn threw the Magma Rock into the geyser and jumped onto it. The Magma Rock was launched into the next floor. Kuririn stumbled upon his landing, as did the remainder of the five.
Yamcha tapped his shell. "Must be because of these." He reached down and rubbed his calf. "Let me tell you, we haven't even gotten started yet, but my leg's already aching."
Kuririn panted. "Glad I'm not the only one."
Max looked forward. "No choice but to keep moving." He, Monica and Gokuu led Kuririn and Yamcha through the passageway.
"The monsters don't even know humans are here yet, I don't think," Yamcha said. "We may hardly have to fight if we can keep taking monsters back to Heim Rada before they can spread the word about us."
"But they might notice that monsters are disappearing and think that humans have come back. Or they might think that the Red Dragons are already back."
"Either way doesn't change our goal." Monica turned a corner. Five Griffon Soldiers stood in a circle, whispering to one another. She stopped and backed away. Gokuu nearly collided into her, and Kuririn nearly collided into him. Max stopped beside Monica, and Yamcha skidded to a stop before reaching the corner. The five shuffled away until they stood behind the wall.
Yamcha glared. "Them again. The first time wasn't enough?"
Max eyed Monica, who lowered her Claymore.
"I-I'm sure we can find a way to settle this without fighting."
Monica looked sharply at Max, and he started. "We've been over this, Max. Those Soldiers are too loyal to Griffon for persuasion to work." For a moment, she glared at Max, who had looked at the ground and bit his lip. She softened her expression. "I'm sorry, Max. I didn't mean to snap at you like that."
"No, it's fine. You've been through a lot lately."
Monica shook her head. "It's not fine. I can't take my anger out on you or anybody, for that matter. That's not fair."
"It really is fine. It's good that you're letting your emotions out."
Kuririn raised his hand. "I agree."
"Me too," Gokuu said.
Kuririn pointed at Gokuu using his thumb. "When even he tells you that, it means you really need to start letting your emotions out."
"Hey, what's that mean?"
"Nothing."
Monica smiled.
Yamcha tightened his grip on the wall. "But they're not attacking. I wonder what's up."
The Soldiers looked at the five. The five bounded from the wall and landed before the Soldiers. Monica fought the urge to raise her Claymore. Kuririn's body tensed. Gokuu looked at each of his teammates; however, none took battle stances. He concentrated on the Soldiers, who walked toward the five. They stopped some feet away, their arms pointed to the ground.
"The emperor's given us a new mission—one that we need your help for."
Yamcha crossed his arms. "Well, well. What's this I hear?"
A Griffon Soldier growled. "We could really do without your smart comments. Anyway, the emperor told us to negotiate with the monsters and bring them to Heim Rada for protection at all costs. We are to get the monsters to help us negotiate with the Red Dragons and, if they don't listen to us, we are to kill them, with the monsters' help."
Monica's jaw dropped. "Th-that's the exact same plan we have."
"Since we're human too, the monsters will probably try to kill us. We've already killed a few for training."
Kuririn balled his hands into fists. "So they already know that humans are here."
Monica stepped forward. "I'm sure that if you tell them your stories, they'll want to join us. We'll definitely be able to gather all the monsters with your help."
"And once we gather them," Max said, "we're going to train with them so we're ready. We're hoping that it takes the Red Dragons a while to fly back here. They're going to search Veniccio for us, though, so that should slow them down."
The Soldiers exchanged looks. Their bodies perked and then grew rigid. They remained silent for some minutes.
"Hello?" Kuririn said.
"Griffon must be talking to them," Monica said.
He blinked. "Wow, total devotion. I've never seen anything like it." He narrowed his eyes at Yamcha. "One of the traits you'll need so you don't break up with Buruma and end up a loser."
"Hm," Yamcha said. "I could actually learn a thing or two from these guys."
The Soldiers' bodies relaxed, and they looked at the five once more.
"The emperor has approved your plan," a Soldier said. "We will also train with the monsters after we gather them. However, he has said that some of us should train with the monsters while others gather more."
"That's a good idea," Kuririn said. "Yamcha-san and I got the monsters by ourselves before."
"Since we're all here, though," Monica said, "let's get these monsters together."
The group ran through the passageway, the Soldiers in front.
"Why is Griffon telling you all to tell us stuff now?" Gokuu said. "He used to talk to us ourselves."
"He isn't comfortable talking with you."
"Why was he comfortable before but not now?" He looked over himself and then Max and Monica. "We haven't changed at all."
"You have. You just haven't realized it."
The trio exchanged looks. Gokuu raised a brow. Monica shrugged.
Max scratched the back of his head. "Well, based on these circumstances, we really had no choice but to change. Just think of everything that's happened so far. Anyone would change."
"I guess," Monica said. "Do you really feel like you've changed any, Max?"
He nodded. "Yeah. It's kinda hard to explain, though. Ever since this journey's started, I've felt more tense. I mean, first, Flotsam ran after me for my Atlamillia. Since he couldn't get it, now Gaspard's after us—at least, I think he is—and a great evil, Griffon, is after us now. I can't help but stay on my toes."
"That goes for Yamcha-san, Gokuu, and I too," Kuririn said. "We didn't know so much was happening in the world. We just wanted to get stronger."
For several minutes, Monica stared at the backs of the Soldier's heads. She frowned.
"I'm sorry for killing your teammates earlier. I tried to convince them that I would make everything up to them, but they didn't believe me. I didn't want to kill them, but they were going to kill me." She averted her gaze to the wall. "That sounds really selfish, huh?"
"They were doing their job," a Soldier said.
Monica's eyes softened. "Oh."
They arrived at a clearing, in which stood a Steam Tore, a bubble from its right nostril growing and contracting with its rising and falling body; floated a Thunder Gundron; and floated a Wind Gundron, both of which faced each other.
Max pointed to the Gundrons. "If this place is like Starlight Canyon, they'll be the successors to the Red Dragons. That might make it a little harder to persuade them, but we should be able to do it. Let's go."
The group ran toward the monsters, Max's and Monica's weapons lowered. The Gundrons faced the group and released multiple balls of electricity and wind. Gokuu, Kuririn, and Yamcha dodged the energy balls. The Soldiers raised their arms, and Max and Monica raised their weapons, blocking the energy balls. Monica's blade glowed red and green with each ball it absorbed.
Must be that magic absorption technique.
The energy balls bounced off Max's hammer and dissipated on the walls.
I didn't know it could do that.
The Steam Tore's bubble popped, and it started. It glared at the group. "How dare they interrupt my nap?"
The Thunder Gundron snorted. "You're always nappin'."
"And you always hold onto that jewel."
"That's because I need it to survive."
"And I need naps to survive."
A vein protruded from the Wind Gundron's forehead, and it roared.
"He's right." The Thunder Gundron pointed its tail toward the group. "Focus on them."
The Steam Tore creaked toward the group. Monica jumped behind Max.
"What's wrong?" Max said.
"Sorry, but you're gonna have to protect me for a little while." Monica raised her Himarra badge, and she transformed into a Himarra. She peeked over Max's shoulder and asked the Griffon Soldiers, "Can you guys talk to monsters?"
"I'm half-demon, so I can. The emperor gave some of those who are human the ability to speak to monsters to talk to the monsters in the palace."
"That's strange."
"You really shouldn't be saying anything, Monster Whisperer."
She rubbed a petal between her fingers. "I, well, I need to talk to monsters."
Another Soldier stepped toward the monsters. "We don't want to fight. We're here to save you from the Red Dragons. We know how brutal and relentless they can be, and we need your help in their defeat."
The Steam Tore stopped. "This sounds interesting."
The Gundrons eyed the Steam Tore but continued their assault.
The Thunder Gundron released a questioning roar. "They're humans. At least, most of them are." It squinted its eyes. "Why is a Himarra with them?"
"Because the humans helped me in Rainbow Butterfly Wood."
Gokuu whipped his head to look at her.
"They helped us realize that we don't need to attack one another. We used to fight with Man-eating Plants over land, but the humans told us that we should work together instead and compromise. Of course, we wouldn't listen to them at first and attacked them, like you guys are doing now, but they managed to convince us in the end. We've evened the amount of land each of us gets, and the Man-eating Plants are our best friends and allies in Rainbow Butterfly Wood now. I wanted to come with the humans to spread the word about their helpfulness and break some of the stereotypes we have humans in."
She's good, Kuririn thought.
The Thunder Gundron ceased its onslaught and looked at the Wind Gundron. The Wind Gundron eyed the Thunder Gundron. It spat its ball of wind into the wall.
The Thunder Gundron tightened its grip on its jewel and rumbled. It looked at Gokuu. "Why do you support the humans? I can tell you're not entirely human yourself. You turned around to dodge one of my attacks, and I saw a stub of a tail."
Monica furrowed her brow. "A stub of a… Gokuu, are you wearing underwear right now?"
"What's underwear?"
She rubbed her forehead. "Oh, my goodness."
"Just answer the monster's question," Kuririn whispered.
Gokuu straightened. "They're tryin' to restore the world and save it from Griffon. If Griffon gets more powerful, he might destroy the whole world, which includes you guys, too. If the Red Dragons kill us, then there won't be anyone to restore the world."
Kuririn nudged Gokuu. "Good job, buddy."
Gokuu grinned. "Thanks. I'm gettin' better at this."
"We could restore the world ourselves and defeat Griffon," the Thunder Gundron said. "We don't need humans in this world."
"That's easier said than done," Kuririn said. "We've been at it for months now. We've only just discovered how to travel to Griffon's time. If Griffon killed us, you wouldn't even be able to defeat Griffon because you wouldn't have a way to travel 10,000 years into the past.
"And let me remind you of our strength. The Red Dragons would kill you anyway for letting humans in here, and we could fight you right now and win. What's your pleasure?"
The Gundrons and Steam Tore exchanged looks. Then, they gathered in a circle and talked amongst themselves.
"Maybe you didn't need our help," a Soldier said.
"But we will when we fight the Red Dragons," Monica said. "We need all the help we can get." She glared at Gokuu. "Now, no underwear? Really, Gokuu?"
Gokuu pointed at clothes. "I thought these were enough."
"No. Far from it."
"Why do I need to wear so many clothes?"
"Have you ever heard of indecent exposure? It means you can get arrested for not wearing enough clothes and showing your privates in public."
"But we haven't seen any police so far."
"That's not the point. Please wear underwear. Have Max invent it for you, even borrow it from someone, but please put some on."
The Steam Tore and Gundrons nodded. They faced the group.
"We'd like to be the successors to this mountain," the Thunder Gundron said, "so we'll help you. And, believe us, we won't rule like the Red Dragons. The way they rule isn't nice at all."
"Great," Kuririn said. "There are already a few monsters in Heim Rada willing to help. You can join them. We have someone protecting them, too, just in case the Red Dragons show up."
A Soldier gestured to another Soldier. "We'll take them back. Then, we'll start sparring against them. Keep convincing the monsters.
"I'll go with you to explain what's happening," Kuririn said.
Kuririn, two Soldiers, and the monsters ran toward the entrance.
"Phew," Monica said. "If we convinced those Gundrons, we can convince any monster."
Kuririn led the Soldiers and the monsters to Heim Rada. Geysers no longer dotted the ground; Buruma had plugged them using hardened mud piles.
Buruma, Oolong, and Puar stayed atop their pots, but Puar began to quake, causing the pot on which he sat to quake as well.
"Now they've brought part of Griffon's army," Muten Roushi said. "They've been making some pretty interesting friends lately."
The group ran to them, Kuririn in front. He motioned toward the Griffon Soldiers. "Griffon's given these guys permission to help us defeat the Red Dragons." He slammed a fist into the palm of his hand. "We're getting more and more allies. Gokuu and the others are in Mount Gundor, gathering other monsters."
Muten Roushi nodded. "That makes sense. Still, be careful with them."
A Soldier scoffed. The other shifted from side to side.
"We will." Kuririn eyed the Soldiers and chuckled. "S-sorry. We trust you, but, uh, that was instinctive."
The Soldiers stared at Kuririn. Their masks hid their expressions.
"A-anyway, Muten Roushi-sama, we decided to start sparring with the monsters to prepare for the Red Dragons."
"That's a good idea. Let's start now. Follow us."
The Steam Tore and Gundrons followed Muten Roushi, Kuririn, and the Soldiers toward the hot springs.
Kuririn sighed. I have a feeling we're not gonna be saving Max's mother anytime soon.
