Drake deflected several pucks that Duke, Mallory, and Tanya sent his way while the other ducks observed from afar.
"He's good.", Thrash said in awe, "No wonder he's the most respected duck around town."
Wildwing couldn't help but agree.
"Yeah, he's got skill."
After a couple more shots deflected, Drake turned to the group.
"Next?"
"Remind me why we're doing this again?", Nosedive asked as Duke, Tanya and Mallory got off the ice.
"We're combining training with hockey.", Wildwing answered, "Besides, getting a shot past Drake would be something to see."
Drake overheard and smiled.
"Okay Wing, how about this: you, Canard and Nosedive try and get a puck past me this time and I'll even blindfold myself to make it fair."
"Is he asking you guys to try and get a puck past him while he can't see?", Mookie asked, "That shouldn't be too hard."
Wildwing's eyes narrowed as he, Canard and Nosedive got on the ice.
"What did he mean by make it fair?", he wondered.
Drake took a dark red cloth and tied it over his eyes before Nosedive and Canard made the first shots only to have them shot back at them just as fast.
"How'd he do that?", Nosedive asked, "He can't see the puck."
Wildwing noticed Drake's smile. Drake was using something to see, but what?
"You going to try or are you going to stand there all day?", Drake asked clearly ment for Wildwing to hear.
Wildwing tensed, he never tried being a position other than goalie, but what did he have to lose? After Nosedive and Canard tried a couple times, he took a shot. Drake had deflected most of the pucks, but Wildwing's almost got past him before he stopped it.
"Lesson one demonstrated here: keep all your senses sharp.", Drake said plainly.
"As in use your ears and not just your eyes?", Wildwing guessed.
"That's right.", Drake said, "I simply let my ears be my eyes and-"
He paused to stop another puck Nosedive tried to get in while he was talking.
"Learn to expect the unexpected.", Drake finished.
He removed his blindfold and put a puck in front of his stick.
"Okay, my turn to shoot."
/
Draco clutched his choker as he followed Darcel, Gerazi, Harzep and Jerai into the forest of fungus. Merzai sounded pretty wicked and powerful enough to know she wouldn't come quietly. A few feet or so, Jerai would sprinkle a little rust colored powder that caused the fungus to dry up and become dust for brief moments and then she paused with her eyes narrowing.
"What is it?", Gerazi asked gripping her arm blades.
"Something's ahead through the brush.", Jerai whispered, "Keep down and stay close."
She crept up to the large boulder with the group following. Cautiously, they looked around to see several deranged saurians wearing clothes that look like the fungus had take root their and the bloody tribal markings on their scales only added more fright as they danced around the bubbling cauldron filled with something sludgy looking and bubbling while giving off a foul stench. One of them looking like a leader raised a staff that looked like it was made of rotting wood with fathers and bones to add more décor, but his voice rang with madness.
"My comrades, soon the cursed ruler Pox will know the full extent of our magic and might! Once our little gift has taken root in the palace, Merzai will finally take her place as the true ruler of this land and may the pantheon have mercy on all who oppose us!"
His followers all raised their knives and gave a shout of applause while Jerai's expression turned to one of guile and excitement.
"Not on my watch.", she said before drawing her scimitar.
Harzep tapped her shoulder.
"I don't believe that frontal assault will be wise.", he whispered.
Jerai looked thoughtful.
"Good point. And I doubt that-", she stopped there to notice Darcel wasn't around, "Hey, where's Darcel?"
That was when a large bag of something hurled into the cauldron with a splash startling the group around it for a second before the pot exploded into a huge cloud of gas that made Harzep, Jerai, Gerazi, and Draco to fall back quickly. As the gas spread, the sounds of gagging and agony filled the air as the fungus around the area withered and died as it touched. After what felt like a couple hours, the cloud lifted to reveal the whole band of fanatics on the ground dead with the fungus becoming dust and Darcel coming out with a plain look on his face.
"What just happened?", Draco asked.
Harzep's eyes narrowed.
"Dreadweed.", he answered, "A very toxic and potent plant that murders all that dare breath it in it's gas form. Normally grown in places below the earth and where sunlight rarely shines. Difficult to harvest and deadly to those who handle it."
Jerai looked impressed.
"Your patron must be proud.", she said to Darcel.
Darcel's emotionless expression didn't let up.
"My patron spreads madness and whispers thoughts of murder through my mind every day I live and each night I sleep. But right now, we should warn Pox about what we just discovered."
Gerazi nodded.
"That witch isn't going to wait for us to put two and two together."
And before long, the group was dashing through the fungus forest that looked like it was dying out and on the way back to Pox's kingdom. Draco looked a bit worried. Zarvik was not one to get tied up with, but unfortunately many had fallen to the patron's temptations and breaking out was something nobody knew. For all he knew, those who serve the lord of madness only know insanity and would lay ruin as their patron willed it.
/
Wildwing barely blocked Drake's shot as he was feeling sweat drip down his face.
"Why are we blindfolded?", Mallory asked as she and Duke barely avoided colliding on the ice.
"You need to sharpen your senses.", Drake answered plainly even though he was blindfolded also, "So less talking and more listening."
Phil and Klegghorn observed from the sides and Phil was looking pretty clueless.
"Why play hockey blindfolded at all?", he asked.
"It's a training exercise.", Klegghorn said plainly, "Obviously Phil, don't you think of the obvious?"
Thrash and Mookie came out of the lockers looking confused and a bit shocked.
"Whoa, what happened?", Klegghorn asked, "Something came up?"
"More like warped.", Thrash reported, "Mook and I just found out our comic shop and clinic just warped into Dimensional Limbo right alongside the Pond."
"How'd that happen?", Klegghorn asked, "Things don't just warp between dimensions from their home one."
"Beats us.", Mookie answered, "Luckily nobody was inside, but the equipment is all there so I can tend our team if needed."
"Wait, the clinic you left on Earth is here in Limbo?!", Nosedive asked in shock as he and the ducks got off the ice and removed their blindfolds.
Canard didn't look so surprised.
"Well that's not so bad."
"What do you mean not so bad?", Thrash asked getting a bit worked up, "Won't that look suspicious when people in Anaheim notice that not only their famous hockey rink mysteriously vanish but also one of their best clinics as well?"
Wildwing looked thoughtful.
"Yeah, that would raise awareness."
Drake looked confused.
"What the puck is Earth?"
"It's an alien world we were stranded on while chasing Dragaunus off Puckworld.", Mallory informed, "So how do we stop this warping from going on?"
Drake looked thoughtful.
"It could be a sign of Limbo going into flux and could mean that instability is growing and the whole of limbo could be wiped out of creation along with just about every other dimension it's linked to."
That got everyone else to look shocked, but Drake only looked confused again.
"What? I've learned a few things while I was here okay?"
/
Charyus focused on the rift as Siege, Chameleon, Wraith and Pretorius observed and took notes.
"At this rate, the rift's power will be able to draw the Pond out of their safe zone and into the open shortly.", Wraith said plainly as he assisted.
"Got to say one thing: this is quite a show.", Chameleon said shifting into a film critic and then back again.
Siege held his ray tightly.
"Just keep an eye out. This rift will draw attention and we might have those ducks on our tails anytime."
"Oh Siege, do lighten up.", Charyus said as if he were bored, "Besides, this rift is what we need to turn the tides."
Pretorius observed the data on a computer he had brought.
"Apparently this rift is causing havoc on Earth and Puckworld as well.", he reported, "A useful feature indeed."
The rift grew even bigger and the area around the saurians started to shake violently.
"Just a bit further.", Charyus said smiling.
"Until what?", Siege asked.
Then the sounds of the Aerowing caught their ears.
"Right on time.", Charyus said smiling, "Keep them off while Wraith and I retrieve the prize."
Chameleon rubbed his hands and shifted into a wizard.
"Now for raising some friends from the grave.", he said before waving his fingers and forming skeletons and zombies using Raise Dead.
"Now for a test.", Pretorius said invoking Primeval.
That was when prehistoric creatures rose alongside the dead and were set for battle as the Aerowing got close and Wildwing jumped out with Canard, Duke, Grin, Tanya, Mallory, Nosedive, and Drake alongside him and landed several feet away.
"Well we can't have a plane tipping the scales.", Charyus said.
He waved his hand and strong tornadoes formed in the air around the Aerowing and kept the plane busy, but narrowed his eyes as Drake and him made eye contact.
"Well well Drake, it's been a while. About five thousand years, but who's counting?", he asked before he entered the rift.
Drake frowned.
"Keep these lizards busy.", he said firmly.
Wildwing looked worried.
"Drake, wait, we don't know where-"
He was cut off because drake had already charged, gotten through the barricade and jumped into the rift after Charyus. About a few seconds after that, that was when fighting started.
/
Charyus flew through the fabric until he came to a glowing crystal floating in space.
"Finally.", he said greedily, "After all this time, I've finally found it."
He was about to grip it when a puck came at him, but he turned and with a snap of his fingers, it disintegrated.
"Oh please Drake, you know a sneak attack doesn't work on me."
Drake pulled out his hockey stick with a determined look on his face.
"I didn't mean to hit you Snow Scales. Just to grab your attention."
Charyus opened his wings and his staff flared.
"That stubborn attitude of yours hasn't changed the least."
Just when Drake leaped for him, Charyus waved his hand and a wall of flames erupted in front of him, but Drake used an ice puck to make a hole to go through and his stick met Charyus' staff causing sparks as the two began fighting. The gem hovered and moved slightly, but then as it got close to the rift, it started to spark.
"Do you have any idea what that thing is going to do when Zeral gets it?", Charyus asked as he managed to get Drake apart from him.
"Zeral will get that over my dead body.", Drake countered, "My team beat you before, and we'll do it again until you die."
As they continued fighting, the gem was hit by a wave and split into shards that flew out of the rift and above the fray that was going on unnoticed by everyone until the ducks got the upper hand and the saurians warped away.
"Well that takes care of them.", Duke said as he put his saber away.
"Now what about Drake?", Canard asked.
The rift blew and Drake flew out along with Charyus who warped in midair while Drake landed at the team's feet.
"You okay Drake?", Mallory asked.
Drake got up and looked apologetic.
"Sorry I went ahead like that, but I couldn't let Charyus get what he needed from that rift."
"Just try and not be so reckless next time.", Wildwing said firmly.
Drake nodded.
"Yeah, guess I have a lot to learn myself huh?"
The rift nearby faltered and then dispersed leaving nothing behind and the Aerowing came down and landed near the group.
"Can we go back now?", Klegghorn asked, "Phil looks air sick."
The team looked inside to see Phil in his seat with a bucket in front of his face and looked up to reveal his face was pale and then put it down and hurled.
"Don't you mean space sick?", Thrash asked.
Mookie checked Phil out quick.
"He's fine.", she said, "A little rest and he'll be right as rain."
/
Charyus stood firm as a couple drones mended his injuries.
"That enchantium was almost mine.", he sneered.
Dragaunus came in looking annoyed.
"I trust your little expedition to find that enchantium went south?"
Charyus' expression darkened.
"Drake was able to hold his own, but the flip side is the ducks don't know what I was after. And if I know Drake, he's not one to let that slip either."
Dragaunus just tapped his foot impatiently.
"At least one of your ideas worked and the duck's magic is more manageable than usual.", he growled, "But I'm growing tired of waiting on Zeral to recover."
"Dragaunus, I hear you, but disrupting Zeral's recovery will be an unwise decision. If I had that enchantium, he would be on his feet and restored by now."
Dragaunus then turned and the doors opened before Charyus looked at him confused.
"Don't tell me you have a plan at this time."
Dragaunus smiled.
"I merely called on an old friend from Earth who is most effective when I needed him and we need a replacement for Medusa seeing that she fell during our battle with the cluckzerkers."
Charyus turned to see a dark scaled saurian strongly representing a snake, but didn't look pleased.
"Viper?"
"One of the best tech companies on Earth and someone with potential that could be useful to your cause.", Viper said slithering over, "Dragaunus here was kind enough to use his DNA accelerator to bestow me with my darling snakes."
Charyus rolled his eyes in disgust.
"Just pull your weight and I'll be willing to prove your usefulness."
Viper grinned.
"That's all I need to hear."
/
Back at the Pond, Drake was once again giving blindfolded training, only this time, the other ducks had improved after several hours.
"Excellent practice ducks.", Drake said smiling as they came off the ice, "Keep it up."
Wildwing couldn't help but feel great. He often dreamed about teaming up with Drake DuCaine and now that he was and getting complimented made him feel that much better.
"Your rash decision worked this time, but it won't be a solution always."
Drake nodded.
"Well spoken. No wonder you lead this team. You've got heart and spirit that I hardly had until I faced Zeral."
"You faced him?!", Nosedive asked not believing his ears.
"You better believe it.", Drake said calmly, "Although the warp feature of my mask is new. Would've really come in handy back in my time."
They went down below where Morpha was waiting along with Thrash, Mookie, Klegghorn and Phil who had recovered.
"Oh hey guys, how was practice?", Thrash asked.
"They did good.", Drake said, "Now you four can start learning."
Phil's eyes went wide.
"Me?!", he squeaked before he fell over and fainted.
The team took this in and laughed out loud with Thrash, Mookie, and Klegghorn joining in.