Dart has been doing work for about 3 weeks now and accumulated some amount of money but he only need Coppers if need. he wonders around, helping people, doing small jobs, etc.
As he was wondering around a shadow cast over causing to turn around while readying his weapon. he looks up to see a multicolored frogbot and it was ready kill. the frogbot use one it's arm to spins it towards Dart which he dodge as he quickly recovered and goes for an counter attack but the frogbot open one of its hatches and it shot off one rocket, Dart eyes widens and barely dodges the rocket but the explosion blast him off a few feet then the bot morphed into a ball and speeds towards him.
Dart didn't have time to dodge instead he blocked the oncoming with his sword and hold it off but struggles to even keep at bay but he hold it off all things considered. the blade is heating up from the rolling of the frogbot which Dart throw his body away and the frogbot slams against the tree but didn't made a scratch.
He then stabs the tip of the sword onto the dirt and he relaxes his body. as he sprint towards the robot while still dragging the sword. he then yelled out "Shattering Land!" as he upsweep his sword and strong winds mixed with dirt swept up the robot in a good few feet up causing the robot to panic as it scan for Dart then suddenly he appeared high above him while two handing his sword above him.
"1st Sage: Down Pour!" he shouted and he hammers down and struck the robot causing it to shutdown.
The robot meteor down the ground and causing a crater around it. he roll down to cushion his landing and sheathes his sword. he slowly approaches the robot and see it not having any dents which surprised him. he heard loud clap of metal which he looks behind him and saw Polly with metal gauntlets and a big smile on her face.
"Not bad but his impervious to any weaponry" she said with confidence
"But it's turn off though" he points out which surprise Polly and she inspects Frobo
"...i take everything i said" she then grips Darts shoulders and look at Dart with sparkles in her eyes "YOU'RE IMPRESSIVE! CAN YOU TEACH ME THAT!?"
"...well it's very difficult that even i hardly even mastered it" he said
"Oh...PLEASE TEACH ME!" she begged with big eyes
"Sorry i can't"
"Why not?!" she said in an angry tone
"I made an oath to my Master to not teach anyone"
"That's dumb" she said which annoyed Dart
"It's not dumb and there's a very good reason for it!" he stated angrily while Polly has an unamused face
"Pfft, whatever you say nerd. and besides you told ivy you'd consider it" she points out
"Well, i wouldn't do it anyway Hmph" he said while pouting like a kid
Polly rolled her eyes as she continues inspecting Frobo and Dart walks away
Polly looked at Dart walking away and she looked at him with envy
"i'll get him to teach me even if i have to torture him for it." she said while she look devilishly and cackle like a crazy witch
After that talk with Polly. he sits on the bench under the statues as he just looked the frogs and newts passing by. he lets his mind wonder for a bit until he remembers that heard that Toad Tower is inside the valley which he thinks that Sprig lied but he may have a good reason why.
He sigh and looks down to the ground thought any reason why Sprig would lie, then a large shadow passed above them as it lands on the roads and two newts hop down and a toad with a beard also hops down.
"Ahhh Wartwood, still a quiet town after all this years. Toadie is a master of communities." said the aqua-marine newt
"and good thing we bought a home here. it's relaxing...and my enemies won't find me here" said the tall newt
"huh...i thought you would say your achievements again"
"nope." the last thing said as they stood their awkwardly then the toad broke the silence
"...Anyway, i'll just hang around here for a bit while you two go to the spa" the toad said while takes a walk to the statue and two wave at him.
Grime sat down next to Dart and glances at Dart for few second then back at the crowd for 15 seconds then looks back at Dart with horror and sweats nervously. Dart felt this and looks at Grime who just smiled nervously.
"oh apologize i didn't see you there. how can i help you?" he said with a smile on his face which made Grime even more nervous
"O-oh umm...i just wanted to sit down and wait for some besties, ehehe"
"neat" he said as he stood up and leave the bench and sigh of relief and calmed down. as he wipes his forehead.
"That was the Slayer, in Wartwood...why is he here?" he rationalize of why he could be here as he grabs his side of his head "this so cray-cray...i should really stop using her lingo"
"What wrong Grime?" Said Olivia as she looked looked rejuvenated and Yunan looks miserable
"never again..." she said with a devastated tone
"it's just my imagination...i mean would it be crazy when the Slayer was here right! hehe"
"The Slayer here? that preposterous, it's an urban legend that people tell beeeeeee-" Olivia was about to finish until he saw Dart help with her bags and her mood change to devastation "oh no"
She then faints and Yunan catches Olivia and Yunan looks at them with confusion
"Whose the Slayer? and why i didn't knew about this! being General Yunan!" She asked which shocked Grime
"How rusty are you? Legends say his the Most Dangerous Amphibian to ever lived and speculated to killed 100,000 people whether be it Toad, Frog or Newts and even killed creatures that even an army can't even but that part is dubious" Grime shivered in fear
Yunan grinned as she ripped her clothes and revealed lil rusted black armor and lil rusted blades on her arms. she then a demented look her face
"Finally a challenge for all this years! for I General Yunan!, Scourge of the Sand Wars, Defeater of Ragnar the Wretched, and the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the great Newtopian Army!" she said her motto sprints towards forest.
"and there she goes...welp i'll just grab some food to eat" he said as he picks up Olivia and goes to Stumpy's
After a hours worth working, he wonders through the forest in night. he pulls his hood up for warmth but it barely gave him some. he shivers from the colds winds but then his instincts snap and he readies his weapon and got into a fighting stance. he glances around his surroundings then quickly clash against a blade.
He looked at the attacker who is a red newt with a demented look her face. he pushed away the blade and the newt readies to attack again but Dart stops her
"Stop, i don't wanna fight you."
"Ohhh but i do" she said with harsh tone as she lunges to him
Dart grits his teeth as Yunan clash his sword with her blades as they power struggle which Dart overpowers her as he push her off and Yunan catches her breath
"Enough, you're at a disadvantage. I suggest you give up"
Yunan catches her breath and then looks at him with bloodlust and then hyperventilates. she strikes her blades each other "A worthy fight, i haven't felt this excited since i fought Sasha Waybright!"
She then quickly slashes Dart which he dodge with ease. This caused her to be frustrated and she just slash animalistic which Dart just sheathes his sword and look at her with pity.
Yunan is in all four as she breath heavily then collapse in exhaustion. Dart extends his hand out to help her up which Yunan begrudgingly accepted and they sat down on a fallen log.
"is everything okay?" he asked which Yunan looked away in embarrassment
"it's...been rough. i don't know. there something about inside has been dormant for years and i haven't been the same since."
"Sorry for asking but who are you?"
"Oh my name is Yunan and i was...someone" she said sadly
As he heard her name a memory of something about her name rings familiar and he tries to remember who she is then realizes it's the same Yunan that Master talk about
"Wait, General Yunan? Scourge of the Sand Wars, Defeater of Ragnar the Wretched, and the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of general in the great Newtopian Army Yunan? you have been an inspiration to my Master!" he said excitedly
This confuses Yunan as she looked at him. "You know me?"
"are you kidding? your my Masters inspiration for the Sage techniques. for how you moved, striking and form" he said with giddy and Yunan smiled
"aww shucks, who is your Master? I might know this person"
"Oh his name is Beet Hyacinth!" he said
"Beet huh? doesn't ring a bell, he must a great teacher if he trained you"
"Yeah well his the only who i consider a family when i was a pollywog." He said sadly and she looks at him with sympathy
"I see you were a Civil War orphan...the new generation of newts are more savagely now and i was told you were the Slayer but your nothing like that now."
Dart signs sadly as he looked away and said "i had no choice, Fighting is the only way i could survive the war."
Yunan looked at him with sad eyes as she pats his back to soothe him and made him feel better.
"It's okay not to talk about it but i understand why you did it." she said as she stood up "but i also get why you change for it, being like that for many years really takes a toll and we have our limits and just one can show you that."
She walks away but look back at him and smiled at him before could further "it's nice to see someone inspired by what you did"
"Thank you Ms Yunan" he said with relief
"Ms? oh call me Mrs. see you around uhhh..." she said
"Dart"
"Dart" she said lastly as she leave him alone
Dart looked down and thinks about what she said then smiled. he stood up from the log and he walks to Polly's place. he knocks at her door and it opened to reveal Polly.
"Dart? what do you want?"
"Umm...we'll start tomorrow and bring a wooden sword" this then made very Polly very excited as he hugs him tightly which made him very uncomfortable until she release him and rubs his back.
"Thank you, Thank you I won't disappoint you, Master" she said proud which didn't sit well with Dart and Polly
"Please don't say that again"
"yeah that sounded bad."
Dart is sitting up from the camping bed as he read about what is the music box do which didn't a lot of info. he sigh as he shuts the book and looked up to the night sky. he heard rustle of grass which made him look to see Maddie with hands behind her back and look away shyly.
"is something wrong Ms Maddie?" he asked
"oh uhhh...i'm sorry acting like a creepy you first arrived, i was just desperate. i hope you don't hate me " she looked apologetically
"It's fine Ms Maddie and i don't hate you"
"o-oh okay but can we be friends at least?" she asked while she hands out her hand for a shake.
Dart accepts and they shook hand while Maddie blushed
"Ummm see you later" she said quickly as ran away
Dart just shrugged as he stood up from the camping bag and pick up the music box under the cloak and looks at the box and he raised it to the rubble of the moon. he theorized of what the box could be of but coming up with outlandish theorized like a portal to another world and a key to the moon but he brushed it off.
He then hid the box behind he sat back down to the bag and hid it back on the cloak. he layed his back against the bag and look up in the night sky and dozed off to sleep.
As Dart is sleeping, Maddie sneaks to Dart as she carefully take the Box without him waking which she succeeds and runs away. she looks at him with guilt the continues to run to Sprig and Ivy. she knocks at door and whispered yelled to for them.
"Sprig, Ivy you awake?" then knocks again which the door open to reveal a tried Sprig
"Maddie? What are you doing this late?" he said tiredly
Maddie shows off the Box and causing gasp in shock as he drags Maddie inside.
"How is this possible! i thought this got destroyed!" He said freaking out
"I don't know but Dart has it"
"Dart? why does he have it?" Sprig sits down and he runs his hand through his hair
Maddie looks down the music box then back at Sprig as she give it to him and he looked at box surprise
"Let him keep it for now"
"Are you sure?" he said
"it's only way give us a reason to why he has it if we confront him about it'll make it worst"
Sprig look at the ground with conflict but he ultimately decides he'll keep it
"Fine" he said and Maddie nodded as he leave his house
"Not again.."