Time to continue this little arc! Next chapter should be the last one, so let's get this chapter rolling already!
Lori looked at the central guild through her window, arms folded behind her back as she fiddled with her fingers.
Why hasn't Ronnie Anne responded yet? It should be a simple mission: strike when they least expect it, take back what Lola stole, and take her out of the picture! That's literally all she has to do, and yet-!
"Heya, Lori!"
The woman winced and turned around to see another woman enter the room, this one wearing a fancy fur coat over her turquoise hooded dress.
"Oh, Leni, what a literally surprise for you to pay me a visit," Lori remarked. "What brings you here?"
"I just wanted to confirm a little rumor that's been floating around lately!" Leni chirped. "So, is it true that Lincoln has joined a guild?"
A rumor? A rumor?! It hasn't even been more than a day since her stupid little brother joined that stupid mercenary group, and it's already circulating!?
"I feel hesitant to give you an answer, but I also know how persistent you can be…"
Lori looked at Leni, who now sported puppy dog eyes.
"... Yes, the rumors are true."
"Woohoo! Finally!" Leni squeaked. "I get to teach him all about treasure hunting! So where is he?!"
"On a mission."
"Ugh, dang it, I missed him!" Leni pouted. "Is he gonna be back soon?"
"Don't know, don't care," Lori rolled her eyes. "So long as he and Lola deal with their business, I'm okay with it."
Leni paused for a second… then narrowed her eyes. "What did you do this time, Lori?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Lori, I, like, know you as well as you know, and I know you hate Lincoln and Lola," Leni folded her arms. "You'd only, like, ever be okay with them being together if you could use it as a chance to get rid of them in one swift swoop. So tell me what. Did. You. Do?"
Lori stared at her angered sister in indifference, then sighed:
"Fine, if you really need to know…"
Back at the caravan, Lincoln swung his sword at Ronnie Anne as the girl swung back, her swordsmanship leaving the guy quickly on the defensive.
He took several steps back as Ronnie Anne walked towards him, swinging her sword relentlessly, until their swords clashed and locked against each other.
Lincoln eventually managed to push back a little, then overpower Ronnie Anne, at least until she spun back and swung her sword again…
Slicing his own in half in the process.
And as the other half fell over, Lincoln found the tip of Ronnie Anne's blade close to his neck, prompting him to raise his hands.
"I don't get it! What do you mean taking back what belongs to your family?!"
"Come on, dude, connect the dots!" Ronnie Anne snapped. "Your sister's technically a dragon! And what are dragons best known for!?"
Lincoln paused to think about it for a moment, and once Ronnie Anne lowered her sword, the duo went together to confront the Weredragon.
"You've been to the Great Lakes Kingdom before, haven't you?" Lincoln asked sternly.
Lola looked elsewhere, narrowing her eyes as she did.
"He's already caught on to your nonsense, Loud," Ronnie Anne hissed. "So spill the beans already, what did you do?"
"Hmph, I didn't kidnap the heir princess of the kingdom," Lola turned to Ronnie Anne and smirked. "If that's what you're implying-"
However, all her arrogance and bravado vanished as soon as she saw the glowing tip of a magic blade being aimed at her…
One held by a stern-glared Lincoln.
"You're aiming your sword at one of your kin?!" Lola gasped. "How could you do something so awful!?"
"First of all, I've been disowned: I'm no longer one of your kin," Lincoln stated. "Secondly, I know you well enough to know that if somebody says you stole something from them, it's most likely true. You were kind of a kleptomaniac even before you became a Weredragon. So-"
"Lincoln! Come here!"
The trio winced at the sudden call, and they quickly got back up on the caravan as Lincoln exclaimed:
"Chandler! Eleanor! How's the Wyvern situation coming?!"
"We've got good news and bad news!" Chandler exclaimed, looking at the sky. "The good news is the Wyverns have left!"
"And the bad news?!"
Eleanor gulped. "They've been replaced with something worse!"
Suddenly, a horse's neigh was heard, and everybody turned around to see what had replaced the winged serpents.
They resembled equine creatures with flaming ethereal manes, galloping in the air as if it were actual ground. Yet despite the fire in their being, they brought a coldness to the atmosphere that sent everybody shivering.
It even caused the caravan to stop on its tracks! Scary!
"Wendigos…"
One of the wendigos galloped forward, then morphed into a humanoid form, one that greatly resembled Lola except with red hair and a green-blue, glowing dress.
"Lola Loud. We meet again."
The Weredragon gritted her teeth. "L-Lindsay Sweetwater…"
"Why am I not surprised a Loud would know the Queen of the Wendigos?" Ronnie Anne sighed. "With all due respect, Your Highness, we were in the middle of something important-"
"Important or not, that doesn't give you the right to trespass into Wendigo territory," Lindsay narrowed her eyes. "Especially when I explicitly forbid that damn walking serpent to ever go down this road again."
"So that's why you needed bodyguards," Lincoln turned back to the dragon girl. "Since you knew the quickest route to the Great Lakes Kingdom was forbidden territory, you wanted us to help drive off the Wendigos in case they spotted us!"
Lola looked elsewhere and laughed sheepishly, only to have Ronnie Anne aim her sword at her.
"Don't act like this isn't a life or death situation."
"I request you leave this place at once," Lindsay stated.
"We're sorry, Your Highness, but we can't do that," Chandler said as Eleanor flew the two of them up to the queen's side. "We have urgent business at the Great Lakes Kingdom-"
"This isn't the only route to that location," Lindsay pointed out sternly. "Take another one."
"The other roads would either take too long or be infested with monsters," Eleanor pointed out back. "And I mean, as an OP spellcaster I can deal with some of that stuff, but there's only so much I can do-"
"I don't care," Lindsay growled, eyes glowing light blue. "Leave right this instant or you'll leave me no choice but to-"
"Grand Wendigo, wait!"
Suddenly, everybody turned around to see another Wendigo enter the scene, this one morphing to reveal herself as Polly Pain.
"Ugh, what's one of Lynn's lackies doing here?!" Lola snapped.
"Saving your sorry ass, that's what!" Polly Pain yelled at the dragon girl. "Now, Grand Wendigo, if I may."
The girl flew up to the Queen of the Wendigos, who held a stern glare as the two stared at each other…
And then she produced a teacup out of nowhere and asked:
"Could we discuss this over tea?"
Lindsay grabbed the teacup, sipped it, and with her glare still focused on Polly Pain, stated:
"Very well."