"Okay, the dragon-born raises his flamberge sword and channels lightning into the surrounding clouds above your head.", Nosedive narrated, "Roll avoidance and resistance."

Nosedive, Thrash and Mookie were deep in the latest game: Wars and Legends and clearly getting good. Thrash and Mookie both rolled and the dice landed on the table among the papers, pencils, and markers.

"Both made.", Thrash answered.

"Same.", Mookie put in.

Nosedive rolled his.

"And I made it too.", he said smiling as he read from a book laying open against a box, "In a dazzling display, you see a window of opportunity and roll an attack check."

Nearby, Wildwing and the other ducks were observing.

"He sure likes that game doesn't he?", Duke asked.

Canard rolled his eyes smiling.

"I've seen better things in Dimensional Limbo. Kind of reminds me of Magical Anaheim the way they play it."

Wildwing brightened. It had been a while since they last seen or heard from Borg and he was starting to wonder if anything was up.

At that moment, the lights started to flicker and Drake 1's screen went static.

"Now what?", Mallory asked.

"My inner peace detects a disturbance in the forces around us.", Grin said sagely.

It all went back on and stayed on, but the ducks were on edge.

"What was that?", Wildwing asked as Tanya checked Drake 1.

"There was a rift here in the base, but it closed shortly after it opened.", she reported.

Canard looked more on edge.

"That only means trouble."

Thrash had picked up the dice, but then dropped them while flinching.

"Ow! That hurt."

The moment the dice hit the table, the whole cyclone came up from the table and engulfed the whole room along with the ducks before they could even respond. After a moment, the cyclone dispersed, but the ducks had vanished.

/

Wildwing's eyes fluttered open to reveal a dark cloudy sky and familiar Anaheim as he noticed the other ducks recovering also.

"Whoa, we're in Magical Anaheim?", Thrash asked as he looked around and then smiling, "Awesome."

"Don't bet on it.", Canard answered cautiously, "Borg is probably in trouble."

"So why the whirlwind?", Mallory asked, "Can't he just mentally contact us like he did that one time?"

"Oh great. Now we have another adventure here like the other two times in our first season.", Nosedive stated(breaking the fourth wall as usual).

Duke was getting his saber out when he noticed something.

"Um ducks, we got company!"

From up above the clouds, large goblins came out riding wyverns as big as cars. Nosedive stepped forward and took a breath as the other ducks covered their ears.

"Go for it Dive.", Wildwing said firmly.

Nosedive started to sing and Siren rang out. The goblins halted in midair with shocked and alarmed looks as they turned away and flew off. Nosedive slowed his singing, but then fell to the ground clutching his neck.

"Ow! What's wrong with me?", he asked.

Canard came over and inspected Nosedive's pendent and saw Siren was losing it's shine.

"Looks like whatever is causing trouble is sapping our enchantium's power.", he said narrowing his eyes.

"Then we better find Borg and get answers before anything else goes wrong."

At that moment, Borg appeared in his astral image near the ducks.

"Greetings my friends.", the elfling said with a nod, "Magical Anaheim is in grave peril and we need your aid."

"You could've contacted us like you normally do.", Mallory said firmly.

"Never mind that.", Wildwing said just as firm before turning to Borg, "What's going on?"

"It's Asteroth.", Borg answered,.

"The Lord of the Red Dragon?", Duke asked.

Borg nodded.

"It seems that he was released from the Dark Realm and his power has grown to the point I can't face him directly."

"Is there any way that we can help?", Canard asked.

Borg smiled.

"Yes. Hidden in the outskirts of the realm are three powerful artifacts: the Urn of Unholy, the Sphere of Natural Might, and the Staff of Heart. Once we have those with the Star Sword, Asteroth will finally be defeated."

"We get to go on a quest?", Thrash asked getting even more excited, "When do we start?"

Borg waved a hand and three scrolls appeared.

"Each of these scrolls will lead to the artifact it describes.", he said, "I'll focus on the Star Sword. Good luck my friends."

Borg's image dispersed and Wildwing divided the scrolls.

"Okay, Canard will take Mallory, and Grin and find the Sphere. Duke, Tanya and I will go for the Urn."

"And that leaves me, Thrash and Mook with the Staff right big bro?", Nosedive asked.

Wildwing nodded as he handed the scroll over to him.

"Be careful though. If Asteroth is more powerful, then we better not use much enchantium magic."

The others nodded before each group set off.

/

Nosedive, Thrash and Mookie trudged through a bog of some sort, but they were a little on edge.

"Ugh, this place reeks of stink.", Thrash flinched holding his nostrils.

Nosedive checked the scroll he had gotten.

"Balance is key for what you seek. Find the right kind and the way is clear.", he read before rolling it up and turning to the other two, "That's all it says, but I'm sure the way is around somewhere."

Mookie looked thoughtful.

"Find the right kind. What would that mean? Like the kind of wood?"

Thrash snapped his fingers.

"Like a heartwood tree back in our game?"

Nosedive's face brightened.

"Yeah, that sounds right and if I recall, that kind of tree is grown in a swamp such as this and blends in with the surrounding others."

The three paused as one tree caught their eyes.

"That it?", Mookie asked.

The tree looked withered, but the leaves looked healthy and standing in the middle of a glade with ruined walls that suggested that a palace once was here. As they got out of the swamp, Thrash scrapped some of the muck off his shoes.

"Okay, balance is key.", Nosedive thought out loud, "And how is this tree going to point us in the-"

He then noticed the scroll light up for a minute and then he opened it up as Thrash and Mookie came over.

"Hey, there's more.", Thrash stated as he read the next verse, "Upward is down as some would say. The right path reveals itself when night is day."

Mookie looked thoughtful.

"Like an eclipse?"

Nosedive looked around and say little trails leading away from the tree's location and the place seemed to get darker like it was noon. Thrash put his hand on the tree and it tilted to a side blocking out the light and making a shadow to the other side of the glade. Nosedive's face brightened.

"Hey Thrash, can you move that tree around?"

Thrash moved to a side after tilting the tree and soon a path lit up.

"So we go that way.", Nosedive said with determination.

/

Grin held Mallory close to him as the harsh winds blew at them. Canard was looking at the scroll while Grin held him just as close.

"Listening dulls the mind yet not all is a lie. Cross the desert and the Sphere is where wet interacts with dry.", Canard recited before rolling the scroll up, "Thanks for helping us with handling the wind Grin."

"The wind will rage, but one's resolve will not falter if his inner peace stands strong.", Grin answered sagely as he continued on.

"So, this Sphere of Natural Might is somewhere that is wet and dry?", Mallory asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's a riddle.", Canard answered, "I've faced a couple of these kind of quests back in Limbo, so where does wet meets dry?"

"A beach.", Mallory stated, "We cross a desert and then we find this beach and the Sphere should be there."

Then the winds got stronger and Grin was soon on his knees with Canard and Mallory holding on to avoid being blown away.

"Now what?", Mallory asked.

The ground gave way revealing a tower of sand and whipping vines forming a giant sand creature as the wind continued to rage. Mallory frowned.

"No giant wall of sand is going to stop us.", she said firmly clenching her fist.

Canard could tell what was going on and held her hand.

"No, enchantium will be limited so use it carefully.", he warned.

Mallory nodded and Canard let go as she drew out a puck blaster from her belt and aimed. Grin used his elbow to hit the ground which made the creature falter allowing Mallory to fire a freeze puck which stated on the head and then to the entire body. Canard then used an explosive puck and the whole thing broke like glass while the wind started to fade away making the place more clear and Grin no longer had to hold on to his fellow ducks to prevent being blown away anymore.

"So much for round one.", Canard said as he and Mallory helped Grin to his feet, "You feeling okay big guy?"

"Pain is an illusion.", Grin answered before flinching and holding his head with his hand, "An illusion that really really hurts."

He recovered though even as the Earth enchantium in his pendent dimmed a little. Canard heard waves which would mean that they were close.

"I hope the other two teams are having luck with their retrievals.", Canard stated, "Borg is counting on us."

/

Duke used his grappling hook to latch on to the poles on the other edge of the chasm that Wildwing, Tanya and himself had come to.

"So we cross the bridge that has been broken and then what?", Duke asked as he tested the rope.

Wildwing pulled out the scroll and reread it.

"After crossing a bridge where feet can't help, you're next clue resides in a natural well."

"I don't know Wildwing, this all seems too easy for us.", Tanya stated as Duke swung across.

Once Duke made it, he retracted his grappling hook and noticed a rock near the edge. The moment he touched it, a ghostly line formed from his side to the other where the other ducks were.

"So we cross using this?", Wildwing guessed, "But how without feet?"

As if to answer him, another line appeared high above the first one with a set of shorter ropes. Cautiously, Wildwing stepped on to the rope and held one of the ropes from above. They felt solid, but the thought of plummeting to certain death made him pause. He gulped and looked towards Duke on the other side.

"Just don't look down.", he told himself as he started making his way over with Tanya right behind him.

All went well until Duke felt the rock he had his hand on rise up and the ropes began to vanish from the other side. Wildwing and Tanya picked up the pace, but the ropes were vanishing fast. Duke tried pushing the rock down again, but it wouldn't.

"Almost there.", Wildwing said as he and Tanya had made it to the last few inches.

And then the rope gave out from under them, but luckily Wildwing managed to grab the edge before he fell too far and Tanya grabbed his waist and held on. Duke came over and held Wildwing's arms while Tanya climbed up. Once she was safe, she helped Duke pull Wildwing up.

"That was close.", Tanya said waving her hand in front of her face.

"We're not done yet though.", Duke said firmly, "We need to find that natural well."

Wildwing looked thoughtful.

"What's natural about a well? It's a pool of water in a hole in the ground."

Duke pointed ahead.

"I think I found it."

A few feet ahead lay a hole in the ground that looked like it had once been a deep pool a long time ago. The scroll shimmered again and Wildwing saw more had been added.

"The dead shall speak, but the words be silent. The Urn you seek is round the bend."

Tanya looked thoughtful.

"Dead speak and urn round bend.", she repeated to herself.

"Like a bend in the river?", Duke guessed.

Wildwing walked up to the hole in the ground and saw a door at the bottom.

"Well, looks like we go in.", he said with a shrug.

/

Asteroth observed from his dark castle hidden within the clouds as the ducks continued on their quest.

"Everything is going exactly as I planned. The ducks fetch the artifacts that will not banish me like I said, but will instead provide the power I need to finally plunge this kingdom into submission."

"Don't get too overeager."

Asteroth turned to see Malevolence materialize near him.

"Greetings Void Queen.", Asteroth stated giving a bow, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Malevolence's expression darkened.

"I believe it is you who has the honor of respecting me of my presence.", she countered, "How goes the retrieval of the Star Sword?"

Asteroth waved away the three baubles and a new one took their place and revealed the star Sword back in the vault in the Pond.

"Observe.", he said.

He raised his hand and dark magic swirled around it. The Star Sword glowed dark for a moment, but then it began to glow bright and the bauble shattered as Asteroth flinched clutching his hand in agony. Malevolence however looked pleased.

"So the Lord of the Red Dragon is having difficulty retrieving the sword that is needed for his ritual."

Asteroth looked her way offended.

"How was I to know that it had a protective ward from when it shattered my amulet?", he asked harshly. Those pests will not fail."

Malevolence raised an eyebrow.

"I will ensure that Borg doesn't intervene where he is.", Asteroth said firmly, "You don't need to worry."

"But you do.", Malevolence answered, "If this spell fails, you serve me in Nether Void for the rest of eternity."

/

Borg struggled against the magical bindings Asteroth had placed on him, but to no avail.

"Cursed wizard.", he muttered, "How could he have gained such powerful dark magic since being banished to the Dark Realm?"

Then he noticed his shackles dissipate allowing him to go over and pick up his shield and sword, but he was on edge.

"Who's there?", he asked.

"I am."

Borg turned to see a black feathered duck wearing dark gray pants, a blue shirt and blonde hair materialize nearby. Borg had a glance in his hazel eyes and he was blown away.

"Why are you here?", he asked.

"Me?", the duck answered, "I have things to do and I can't let Malevolence and Asteroth get their way."

He snapped his fingers and Borg found himself outside with the duck floating beside him.

"Those ducks are heading into a situation and only you can stop it.", the duck said before he started fading away.

"Wait!", Borg said firmly, "What is your name?"

"Theo", the duck answered before vanishing completely.

Borg stood firm as he sheathed his sword and discovered the Star Sword already on his belt with a note.

"Don't fail.", Borg read, "Anaheim depends on you."

And the note vanished, but Borg was now more confident than before.

"I won't.", he said with pride as he moved his hands and teleported away.

To be continued...