AN: Thanks for reading. I have a job now :)
Oooooh~!
There once was a toad named Barrel the Brave,
He was 20 feet tall and protector of knaves!
With his mighty hammer, no evil shall be left unsmite,
So that all under him may sleep at night.
Oooooh~!
Barrel the Brave, who served the giant king,
For his loyalty, he was banished off the ring.
Betrayed and thrown out, his days were filled with rife,
To an unknown town, he would guard with his life.
Oooooh~!
Despite it all, he would not run or hide,
As the town was attacked by a beast of pride.
Barrel fought and fought till his brows were crossed,
And the price of it all? His time now lost.
Oh, Barrel the Brave or Barrel the Kind,
Though nothing to prove, he was still left behind.
No name in books, not even a word,
Barrel the Toad, uncared and unloved.
— "The Ballad of Barrel the Brave", version recorded by nobility bard Micheleif Cavin as found in toad-majority communities. The author is unknown.
KRA-KOOM!
There was thunder, she remembered, Lightning flashing through the skies along with booms of thunder. The storms were rough that night with thick dark clouds hanging over the mountains. And inside, it was even darker.
Captain Grime – or should it be, former captain – stood in the middle of an auditorium. Overlooking him were rows and rows of toads, watching him like a hawk, and in the centre of these toads were four seats, each beholden to a powerful and authoritative Toad Lord. With the exception of one, three seats were filled, their figures shrouded under the shadows.
One of these Lords, on the far right, huffed, his painted wooden armour shining under the moonlight, the only natural source of light in these dark halls. Grabbing a piece of paper, he leaned one of the torches above him and began reading its contents.
"Grimothy, captain of the Frog Valley Tower. We have gathered here today to pass judgement regarding your involvement in recent events." He said, lowering the paper. "As the reports say, your territory has been tarnished by rebellious behaviour. Frogs everywhere in the valley are rising up, refusing to pay their dues and preventing the function of important trade routes. You, as the leading commander and caretaker of the valley, were tasked to apprehend and punish those involved. Specifically, one Hopadiah Plantar."
BAM! He slammed his fist onto the table.
"Yet, you failed. Not only that but the Frog Valley Tower which has stood for centuries is nothing but crumbled stone. You've violated various procedures, abused your authority and has caused a scandal. We've read reports regarding the last-minute increase of tax percentages, a decision you solely made, which may be the spark of this upstage. In a sense, you caused this whole debacle and brought shame to the proud toad warriors all over Amphibia."
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Grime puffed his chest. This was it. No matter what he said, nothing could change the outcome. He might as well decide how it went. He took a deep breath and began his defence.
"I took what I believed was the best decision I could make, especially with how little information I had. Do not expect me to perform miracles." He hissed. Toads in the audience were shocked by his dishonourable behaviour. To speak in such a way against the Toad Lords took gusto and they respected that. Too bad it wasn't enough to alter fate.
On the left side of the Toad Lords' thrones, the westward of these great captains laughed.
The previous speaker groaned. He just had to make a big show about it, huh? "Usually, these are seen as grave crimes and your sentence would be a public execution. However, due to your significant military service and achievements, we've decided to lessen the punishment as an act of good faith." He stated. He briefly looked around for any disagreement and from what he observed, none had any objections. Clearing his throat, he continued. "From now on, you are stripped of your titles and medals, as well as your position as Captain of the Frog Valley Tower. You are also exiled from returning to service and cast out of Frog Valley. You may live your life as a toad but never a soldier."
One of the toads in the audience gasped. "Wait, can we do that? If word gets out, Newtopia will want his head." He muttered loudly, promoting discussion amongst the crowd.
The Toad Lord of the West Tower, the one that laughed earlier, chuckled. "It's fine. We're giving him a headstart. Those pansy Newtopian Guard can suck an egg for all we care."
The toads all muttered in agreement. If there's one thing they can all say yes to, it's how little they respect the Newtopian Guard. The greatest combatants Newtopia had to offer were nothing compared to even the lowest of toad foot soldiers. At least, that's what they liked to believe.
"Do you have any objections?" The speaker, captain and Toad Lord of the East Tower, asked.
Grime lowered his head. "None."
The Lord nodded. Grabbing his short axe, he knocked the handle onto the table like an impromptu gavel. "Then the court is adjourned."
BAM BAM!
Outside of the courthouse, Anne Boonchuy, 13-year-old girl from another world and appointed unofficial lieutenant of the Toad Army, was nervous. So nervous, in fact, that she paced around in front of the front doors, creating a shallow path in her wake. Toads nearby all watched as she walked around in circles, though said nothing. It wasn't their place and honestly, they were a tad fearful of being associated with her.
She was nice, the toads from Frog Valley agreed, but to the Toad Army as a whole, she was still kinda monstrous.
After many minutes of pacing, the doors finally opened and from it, Grime walked out, his shoulders slumped and his brows creased gloomily. Anne quickly ran after him, her patience paid off. "Grime! How's the trial? Did you win?"
He sighed, looking away. "There was never a chance. The trial was just for show – a formality. The sentence was decided long ago. This was just for legality's sake."
Anne blinked. "WHAT?! B-but it's not fair! You did everything right!"
"Yet, everything went wrong. The mission, the tower, so on. Sometimes, life throws curve balls at you." He exclaimed in a dejected tone. Yet, he huffed and straightened himself. "I'm lucky they didn't kill me right then and there. But it won't be for long. Newtopia will not agree with the given sentence. I'm pretty sure they'll send a few bounty hunters after me once the word gets out."
See, Newtopia and the Toad Army had a close working relationship. Technically, the Toad Army worked for Newtopia – they were not equals in the slightest – but the toads functioned more an as independent collection of soldiers and mercenaries who worked for the kingdom. They had their own set of rules and regulations, some of which may oppose Newtopia's own.
Thus, these differences tend to come up, especially after military trials. Toad Army is allowed to carry out sentences on their own soldiers as the army had their own court of law. Still, these motions must be sent and then evaluated by Newtopia's judiciary branches. Most of the time, it passes without question.
However, when counting crimes against the government, whether by acts of terrorism or revolutions, the punishment is usually death. This would've been issued to the one and only Hopadiah Plantar, if it weren't for various law-breaking procedures conducted by former-Captain Grime. Additionally, all of the evidence was lost due to the tower's destruction.
So now, all the charges on the farmer had been dropped, whereas the former military official was then tried. Hop Pop sure was lucky. Must've been the living walking lucky charm sitting next to him.
Somewhere in the world, a blonde-haired girl with parental issues sneezed.
Back at the toads, Grime puffed his chest and turned to the young girl. "It seems like this is where we part ways. I am no longer your commanding officer which makes you a free—" He paused, waving his hand in thought. "—human. It was... an honour to work alongside you, Anne Boonchuy." The former captain then bowed, a way to show respect. "I hope we meet again on better terms."
Anne frowned. "No way. I'm coming with you."
Grime stared at her, his mouth gawking wide. "What?! Are you insane? I'm an exile! You're going to get yourself killed."
Anne scoffed, waving his worries away. "Oh, so what? Staying with them is going to get me killed too. I don't think the toads here like me very much."
To prove her point, she looked at one of the toads nearby – he was standing around with a spear – and stared. Once he noticed her gaze, he began hyperventilating and within seconds, ran away in fright, screaming like his life depended on it. His partner, noticing the mental outbreak, chased after him. One thing led to another and for self-explanatory reasons, he was being cuddled by a handful of toads, all of which staring daggers at the human girl.
He was a nervous toad, you see. Not a fan of stares.
Grime blinked, followed by a cough in his fist. "A-hem! Well, I'll admit, this kind of loyalty is… somewhat refreshing." He exclaimed. His face gradually turned red, feeling grateful yet embarrassed. "Well, if you say so. Don't regret it by the way. I'm not a very sensitive roommate."
Anne smiled. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it."
The girl stretched out her hand and in response, the one-eyed toad did the same. They shook on it, an event that would be written in history books far in the future. This very moment was the start of a beautiful friendship.
Two weeks later, on the outskirts of some random nameless town…
Anne Boonchuy, her usual armour now reduced to its bare minimum, took a deep breath, calming herself. She lifted her sword and readied for battle. "Alright, let's do this."
With one foot forward, Anne zoomed straight to her targets: a number of training dummies made of straw, twigs and old fruit. She swung her sword at them, slicing through like butter. When a number of these dummies were incapacitated, Anne quickly ran to the next section – an obstacle course provided by Mother Nature herself. She hopped from mushroom to mushroom, swung from vine to vine, dodged bushes and shoulder-height branches before finally, reaching the end of the course. There, she grabbed a nearby bow and arrow and nicked the remaining targets with well-placed shots.
Then, after a few moments of silence, only one dummy was left. And she was out of arrows. Anne grabbed her sword and slowly walked forward, gradually gaining momentum. She charged at the dummy, one that oddly looked familiar with its blonde straw hair and toothy scowl, and leapt with her mighty blade.
Her eyes turned blue and her sword gleamed.
"Sasha?"
Anne's eyes widened and her cerulean glow disappeared. Just as she reached close to the dummy, a small rock decided it was its time to shine and magically misplaced itself right in her path. Anne, having slowed down halfway, tripped over the said rock and fell straight into her face, planting her favourite nose into the dirt.
She didn't even reach the dummy.
"Mmnnngg…" Anne groaned, lifting her poor and dirtied head from the ground. She tasted sand and other earthy textures, and was not a fan in the slightest, spitting it out repeatedly.
Lifting herself and sitting upright, Anne wiped the coarse dirt from her delicate face with a small towel, cleaning her pores to the best of her ability. Sure, she's not the classiest of girls but even she knew the importance of physical hygiene. It's a shame this world didn't have facewash or hair conditioner. This world had soap though but it felt different from her usual brand.
Yet, it didn't bother her much. No, what bothered her was… well, this.
"AAAAGGGH!" Suddenly and from out of the blue, a painful scream was heard. Anne's ears perked at the noise, turning to the nearby windmill. Her eyes widened and quickly, she stood up and ran towards the decrepit building, her sword in hand.
With a powerful shriek, Anne kicked the front door open, almost breaking it off its hinges. She lifted her sword up and growled, prepared to face whatever dangers lurking in the dust. Inside, she saw her friend and companion, the great former-captain Grime, lying on a haybale and groaning despairingly. He had a full-blown beard and looked as if he'd seen better days.
Anne rushed to his side, her face full of worry. "GRIME! WHAT'S WRONG?! DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?!"
Grime breathed heavily. "Anne..." He croaked. He then pointed to a nearby wall, his arm shaking weakly. He coughed and stared into her eyes.
"Could you please hand me the charger? Your phone is about to run off of battery life."
…
…
Anne blinked. She closed her eyes, took a deep and very sharp breath, and walked away, grabbing her phone's charger from her bag before handing it to the toad. Grime smiled, plugging it into an electrical source made of a pickle jar, some wires and a lightning bug. It was crudely made but it did its job.
"Thank you. The current episode of Suspicion Island is only at the halfway mark and I didn't want to lose any progress." He said, unpausing the show with a tap.
"But Randy, I think YOU'RE suspicious!"
"Nooooooo!"
Grime gasped. "Wow, Randy's suspicious? Totally did not see that twist coming." He exclaimed. Lowering his hand to his side, he searched for some nibbles to consume, yet found the package empty. "Oh dear, it seems we've run out of snacks. What a terrible day this has been."
This… was Grime. This was Grime. Gone was the proud toad soldier with glistening armour, a snarl that could bring fear into wildebeests and the body of an Olympic weightlifter. Instead, an imposter had taken his place. An imposter that worked very slowly.
Very, very slowly.
Other than the magnificent beard that he insisted on taking care of, the toad was far from his glorious former self. His armour was nowhere to be seen, probably rusting in a crate under the stairs, and it seemed that he's gained a few pounds. Usually, Anne was not the kind of person to shame a man for gaining weight – and she still wasn't – but he really did turn fat and flabby.
There was no denying it. He had become a washed-out dad.
The teenager groaned, seeing her partner lounging pathetically in the dark. Time has been tough for the toad and she was having none of it. "Ugh, come on! You know you can't stay like this! You've got a bounty on your head! If you don't keep up with your training, you won't be able to fight the bounty hunters off."
Grime waved at her uncaringly. "Oh please, I'm hardly worth anything. Not ever since I lost my job and the respect of my peers." He muttered. Anne rolled her eyes and from her pocket, she unfurled a wanted poster, one with a detailed drawn portrait of the former commander. Grime raised a brow, reading the paper before him. "What is that? A few shillings?"
Anne threw the paper at him, landing on his chest in a crumple. "It's 300 gold pieces. That's enough to set someone up for life. You're on the list of Newtopia's Most Wanted!"
"Gah, flattery will not get you anywhere." He scoffed. "Besides, no one is dumb enough to try and claim a bounty this high. It's a ridiculous amount."
"You don't know that! There's always going to be someone desperate enough to do it."
"If they're desperate, then they'd lack the skills to actually succeed."
This was it. This was her life now. She was 13 years-old and was taking care of an older toad-man who, when put into context, was depressed for getting fired. These were not the responsibilities a child such as herself should have. It should've been the other way with the highly experienced and clearly older Grime taking care of her wide-eyed, childish and optimistic person.
God, she felt like her mom.
…
…
She missed her…
Anne shook her head, avoiding the emotional pitfall she almost walked into. "You know what? I'm going to the town to get some supplies. You better move by the time I get back!" She shouted, walking out the door with an empty sack and a sling bag. "And don't forget to feed Domino 2!"
For those who don't know, this group of two was actually a group of three, featuring Domino 2! Named after her Earth cat, Domino 2 looked exactly like Domino, down to the fur colour and patterns. Though, the main difference was that Domino 2 had several additional limbs but other than that, they were practically identical.
Anne found her during her travels, immediately adopting the not-cat from just a glance. She shared many of the original Domino's mannerisms and the teenage human was quite fond of her.
Grime though? Not as quite.
He glanced at the sleeping kill-a-moth and grimaced. "Geh! Why do we even have him? You know his species ate my uncle, right? I'm not exactly comfortable with that!"
"First off, Domino 2 is a girl. And second, she's a member of this group and deserves as much respect as you do." Anne stated. She leaned at the bug and gently scratched her chin, causing the caterpillar-thing to purr. "Ain't that right, Domino 2? Who's a good girl? You are! That's right, you are!"
Grime frowned deeply. He hated every moment of this.
As Anne left the building with her sack, the toad shouted from his station. "Ggh, at least make sure to get some snacks!" He yelled, though no indication that Anne heard him. He'd just have to leave it to fate.
Now left alone, Grime sighed and continued watching his favourite show – Suspicion Island. It was a good show, full of drama and mysteries, all conveniently stored in Anne's magic picture box she called her 'phone'. Anne coincidentally had the whole first season of the show on her phone and she didn't even bother to share it back when he was her commander. The nerve of younglings these days…
Domino 2 stared at him, her tongue poised cutely.
"What are you looking at?"
"Mrew~"
Ataun Town, named after… well, it's actually a funny story.
You see, the founders of this town from about 150 years prior couldn't actually name it. They found it on a whim; they were on a pilgrimage from one part of Amphibia to another due to details unknown. Unfortunately, they got tired and decided to settle halfway. That was how the then-nameless Ataun Town was founded.
The name, though, was chosen for tax reasons. The residents didn't really care what they called their place of living since it was founded just like that. But they still needed to register with the Newtopian government for tax season, so when the newt official arrived, pointed at the town and asked "What is it called?", the frog nearby replied with the most obvious "A town".
Thus, it was dubbed Ataun Town. It was unsure who was to be blamed – the newt official who didn't care enough, the frog who misunderstood the question or the mayor who never bothered to hold a poll on what the town would be called. All they knew was that their home was now known as Ataun Town and much like their ancestors, they really couldn't give a darn and just shrugged.
Anne walked through the town's main road where various stalls and shops littered at the side. Unlike back at the windmill, she wore a cloak to hide most of her noticeable features as well as a simple unassuming wooden mask for obvious reasons. Anne wasn't completely stupid; she knew full well how the general populace in this world would react to her appearance.
Additionally, her empty sack was now filled to the brim with wild thrips. Often found in trees, these insects, gigantic like most in Amphibia, would go around eating fruit and berries straight from the branches of tall trees. Due to the height, it would usually be difficult to catch them. However, Anne took a few archery classes back when she went to summer camp and let's just say, she got really good at it.
Reaching her destination, Anne opened the door and walked up to the front desk, ringing the small bell on the counter. From the back, she heard a voice. "Hmm, yes? I'm coming!" The voice in the back announced.
Moments later, a plus-sized frog appeared, wearing a green-stained apron over her clothes as well as two cloths: one for her hair and another as a mask. Seeing her customer, her eyes widened happily and she took off her cloth mask. "Oh, if it isn't Anne! So happy to see you, young lady!"
Anne waved. "Hey, Mrs Krabapple! Sorry for being late today. I was a bit preoccupied."
"Oh, that's no problem. You can't expect hunters to have a schedule." She said, greeting back with a wave.
Mrs Krabapple was one of the town's local butchers and a frequent buyer of Anne's raw goods. Seeing that they couldn't live off the land forever, Anne took the initiative to mingle with the locals and do various side jobs. Most wouldn't hire her though – she was an outsider and wore a creepy mask – but they wouldn't say no to trading opportunities. It's a small town.
Anne found herself becoming a hunter of sorts, entering the wilderness and gathering food and materials such as berries and small bugs. She had a lot of practice with a bow and arrow because of this and learned quite a lot about the local wildlife. Apparently summer camp wasn't a waste after all!
She remembered that year; she was the only one who went there due to her parents' insistence. Sasha went to her grandmother's house and Marcy spent her summer in LA. It wasn't often they were separated, being close friends since childhood.
But now, with Sasha...
"So, what'd you bring to me today?" Mrs Krabapple asked, cleaning her hands on her apron.
Anne blinked. Right, she was occupied. Shooing away her thoughts, Anne removed her sack and placed it on the counter. "I've got some thrips I'm looking to sell. How much is it worth?"
The butcher grabbed the bag and unloaded its contents, piling a hill of insect corpses on the wooden surface. She inspected one of them and smiled. "My, what a haul. Let's see..."
Mrs Krabapple looked through each and every one of the thrips by hand. She checked their size, weight and colour, searched for any disfigurement such as the number of legs or the clarity of their wings, and even smacked them a bit to see if their hollow or not. She trusted Anne but that didn't mean she could take her find lightly.
"Hmm... 13 thrips, 7 of good quality and 6 looking average... Multiplied by weight... 2 of them female..." She mumbled, gathering her thoughts. Once done, she smirked, satisfied. "That'll be 18 silvers."
Anne held back a frown. That seemed kinda low... "18? Come on, Mrs Krabapple. I spent all night catching these. Can't you sweeten the deal?"
"I'm sorry, Anne, but thrips just aren't in demand. If you manage to get your hands on a few fire moths, then I'd pay a pretty penny for one."
"You know those aren't in season." Anne pointed out. "Plus, I'm the only supplier of thrips at your stall. That's gotta mean something."
Mrs Krabapple hummed. "Hmm... Well, your hauls are always of good quality. Plus, they do make a good jerky. How's 20 silver sound?"
That sounded better but not good enough. "I'm sure we can go a bit higher than that. How about 25?"
She laughed. "Oh, Anne, are you trying to bankrupt me? 23 silver and I'll add a couple of packaged meals from yesterday."
"Deal."
After finishing up the transaction, Anne took back her now-empty sack and left the store, now with a bag of currencies. She waved Mrs Krabapple farewell with a soft smile; her mother didn't teach her to be rude.
Mrs Krabapple waved back. "Pleasure doing business with ya, Anne."
"No problem. I'll keep an eye out for that fire moth. If I find one, you'll be the first to know."
The frog butcher snorted. "That's a promise."
Ah, Mrs Krabapple, the nicest froggy butcher Anne knew. Well, she was the only butcher Anne knew, actually. The toads didn't like her being in their kitchen. That place was a battleground of its own.
Still, now that she has some money, they – and by 'they', that included Domino 2, much to Grime's chagrin – can finally move on somewhere else. With the possibility of bounty hunters on their backs, it's unwise to stay in one place for too long. Captain Grime taught her that, though that was back when Toad Tower was still standing and he was full of spirit, not... this.
Anne pulled out a small notebook from her side pack and began checking her list. "Let's see... Food, check. Clothes, check. Survival equipment, check. Map, eh, check. Money—" Anne jiggled her cash pouch. "—check."
Humming to herself, Anne scanned the page to see if she missed anything but from the looks of it, she got everything. Now they're ready to travel again!
"Make sure to get some snacks!"
Anne blinked, hearing Grime's voice in her head. She sighed, shutting her book with one hand. "Right, snacks..."
To be honest, they really shouldn't buy snacks. Money's tight and as good as Anne was in the hunting profession, she was still an amateur. She didn't know how to track, make traps or even lure her prey. Her hauls were basically just her strolling into the woods and looking up until she saw rustling leaves.
Mmm, her neck felt stiff. She should get something for that.
Anne entered a nearby saloon, its half-doors left swinging behind her. At the bar, a cowboy-looking frog nodded, wiping a clear glass clean. "Howdy there, missy. What can I get ya?" He asked with a rough Southern accent.
"I'm looking to buy some... snacks." Anne said hesitantly. "Not sure if you sell those here."
"This is a diner. We sell appetizers. That's a snack."
Anne raised a brow. "What kind of appetizers?" The barkeep handed her a menu which, conveniently, had pictures. They all looked pretty delicious too – a sign that she's been here too long. "Ooo~ I'll take the bugbites then. To-go, please."
The barkeep nodded and walked to the kitchen, leaving Anne at the counter by her lonesome.
With nothing but silence as her companion, Anne began thinking of their plan. Sure, they have to keep moving but to where, exactly? They can't stay on the road forever. A permanent residence was vital in order to rebuild. So long as they kept moving, money will stay tight and supplies strained.
This was no way to live.
Anne sighed. It's unfortunate that she seemed to be the only one taking this seriously. Grime seemed content to slowly rot like a pumpkin but Anne was only 13 years old! She wasn't going to accept this! She's still just a kid with a future, whatever that may be!
In any case, they've been travelling east for quite a while. The trees were becoming dense, slowly turning from packed forests to crowded jungles. Due to the geography, Newtopian soldiers don't monitor these areas as heavily. Outside of any relentless hunters, they should be fine once they get deeper.
Just then, the entrance of the saloon swung open and with heavy metal boots, a tall and slender figure strutted in. A feminine-looking individual, she wore a full plate of metal armour with large, heavy pauldrons and gauntlets, unfitting for their frame. Along with a decorative red cape, the newcomer also had several medals tacked on their chestplate, right over their heart.
The figure walked to the bar and Anne, too deep in her thoughts, was unaware of the newcomer's appearance beside.
"Give me a drink, bartender." The guest asked, taking a seat. Her armour jingled and clacked, its thin metal plates hitting against one another.
The bartender, who arrived just seconds prior, nodded. Taking a clean glass, he poured the guest a relatively mild and inexpensive drink, perfect for travellers after a long journey. The visitor – a famous soldier perhaps – took the glass and gulped it down in one swipe. She smacked their lips, satisfied.
"Aaa~ Refreshing!" She said with praise, slamming her cup onto the bar. She smirked and chuckled. "I suppose you're wondering who I am?"
The bartender cleaned a cup with a white cloth. "Not especially."
The soldier cleared her throat – preparation was key in getting this right. Flexing and stretching her limbs, she introduced herself. "My name is General Yunan, Scourge of the Sand Wars, Defeater of Ragnar the Wretched, aaaaaand... the youngest newt to ever achieve the rank of General in the great Newtopian army!"
SLAM! She placed a foot on the table, posing dramatically.
...
...
A-hem!
...
The officer, General Yunan, sighed. "And this is why I hate coming out to the boonies."
The bartender looked at her, unimpressed. "Miss General, may you please take your foot off the counter? It ain't right."
"Oh, sorry." Yunan squeaked, getting down from the counter and sitting politely. She grabbed the menu and began reading. "Do your spider eggs have button bacon in them?"
"Aye, fresh off the farm every week."
"Is the bacon good?"
"It's bacon."
"Then I'll…"
The general hummed, tapping her ironclad finger on her chin. Did she want the bacon or not? Sure, it tasted delicious but she's been watching her consumption lately and has been trying to reduce eating fats. Not that there's anything wrong with button bacon! It's just with her being a general, she's been put into office duty a lot more often lately.
As a soldier, eating large amounts of food was expected and even recommended. Alas, she was a commander now – a general of the world's greatest army and leader of trained soldiers. In her position, she was no longer the one who did the fighting. No, nowadays, she'd send others to fight for her while she sat back on a cushy chair, getting fatter and lazier by the minute.
She missed going out like this.
The bartender coughed. "I ain't getting any younger, miss."
"O-oh, right! I'll just... take the eggs and bacon to-go." She replied bemusedly. The bartender nodded and walked to the back.
Two women with experience in military combat, one a high-ranking officer of renown and the other, a misplaced girl-turned-soldier-now-runaway. What conversations would such different yet similar people would have in a mundane and public location such as a Western-style saloon?
None. Like, they're strangers. Why would they talk to one another unprompted? That's just weird. It'd take a pretty weird person to start a conversation for no reason.
"You! With the mysterious mask!"
Anne blinked. "Huh?"
"You look like a trustworthy fellow! Only trustworthy people wear masks." Yunan said, smiling. "I'm looking for a fugitive – former-Captain Grime of the Toad Army. I've received intel that he was last seen in this area. Do you have any information about him? Any at all?"
Oh.
Oh, fubbernickel.
Inside her mind, Anne screamed. A bounty hunter? Here and now of all times? What a stroke of horrible luck. Just as she was preparing to leave, coincidence had to blindside her. Thankfully, either because of the mask or just her being persona non grata, the bounty hunter didn't seem to recognize her. She can still make this work.
Now, respond carefully, Anne.
"N-n-n-no..." God dammit.
Yunan raised her brow. "Really? You seem to have hesitated a lot."
... She can salvage this.
"T-t-that's just my s-s-stutter!" Anne purposely stuttered.
Yunan nodded. "Oh, I see! My apologies then. That was rude of me."
"I-it's fine. Also, I d-d-don't know any 'G-Grime'. W-who's that?"
The general's eyes widened. "You don't know who Grime is? The Fiercest Fighter of the Coliseum? One of the greatest gladiators in Newtopia whose record of wins have yet to be broken till today, even after 20 years? He's quite a celebrity."
"He was?!"
"Indeed! Why, I once watched one of his challenges when I was just a newtling. My, just the memory of it ignites my pride in Newtopia!" Yunan claimed, blushing melancholically. Watching the Coliseum was always fun, even as an adult. "Too bad he's now a criminal. Apparently, he failed a very important mission. I kinda skimmed through the details so I'm not exactly sure what he did but if Newtopia has declared him unjust, then I shall bring him to justice."
"For I am 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!"
"Didn't you say that already?" Anne asked, despite not paying attention to it earlier.
Yunan grumbled. "Yes, I know I did but the repetition helps it stick."
Huh. What a funny yet scary lady.
With that in mind, and literally in Anne's mind, her scream amped up to 11. This wasn't just some normal bounty hunter; this was the General of Amphibia's greatest military power. Forget the bounty! There was a full-blown war hero right in front of her, possibly with a whole-dang army at her disposal just beyond the forest.
All this just to capture one toad? Damn, Newtopia was really serious about their crime rate.
"Here are your bugbites, missy." At exactly the right moment, the bartender returned, placing a paper bag of snacks in front of Anne. The girl quickly snatched it and threw an undescribed amount of copper coins onto the table. She wasn't sure how much the bugbites cost but that she was in a bit of a hurry right now.
Anne, now with her order, stood up and hastily paced towards the exit. "Well, I wish you luck on your hunt, Miss General!" She said, waving nervously as she left.
Yunan nodded in response. "It's just General but thank you for your kind encouragement, mysterious stranger in a mask!"
As Anne left the premise, the general took a breath and gave a relaxed sigh. Despite their short meeting, she found the chat to be very pleasant. Maybe someday, they'll cross paths again. She should've at least asked for her name though.
"She's nice. I like her. She listens to me."
The bartender hummed. "Whatever you say, Commander Yunan."
"It's General Yunan! I just said that!" Yunan stated with a frustrated tone, clicking her tongue. "Tch, boonies..."
She was never a fan of dealing with locals in the outskirts. Their apathetic personality clashed heavily with her enthusiastic and aggressive style. Apparently, being unlikable was a requirement for living in the middle of nowhere. At least the girl she talked with wasn't like that. She was respectful, polite, a very good listener and was willing to participate in the conversation despite her speech impediment.
Yunan blinked. Wait a minute…
"Huh... Weird how she stopped having a stutter at the end there. And the fact that she's wearing standard-issue Toad Army apparel, retrofitted to her twinkish frame. And the fact that she's extremely tall for a frog and for some reason, is quite warm." She remarked. Instantly, her eyes sharpened.
"How suspicious..."
"I'm sorry, Randy. I finally realise... You were never suspicious..."
"Martha? MARTHAAAAA!"
"That's right, Randy. It wasn't you who was suspicious. IT WAS I, DIEGO! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"
Back at the defunct windmill, Grime gasped. Diego, Randy's more attractive blonde-haired brother, was the suspicious one all along. He successfully shifted the blame to Randy, allowing him to sneak through prying eyes to do his devious deeds. That explained his lack of appearance in most episodes and how he's always found in awkward places.
There was only one word to describe it.
"Amazing. I never saw that coming! The author of this tale is a genius! A true Lakespherian! Ahead of his time!"
Ooo, what a show. It's funny – initially, Grime was hesitant about Anne's glowing Box of moving pictures but after a week or so of it being his only source of happiness in this cruel and unforgiving world, he finally saw the machine in a better light.
The ex-captain sighed gratefully. He hoped this peace would never end.
"GRIME!"
He hoped too soon.
The door slammed open and Anne rushed in, her appearance dishevelled. She took several heavy breaths, evidently having run here as quickly as possible. Her clothes were a mess, her mask was lopsided and her hair was on the fritz. Well, her hair was always on the fritz. He was sure it defied gravity sometimes.
"Whoa, you're back early!" Grime greeted, waving his food-powdered fingers. "As you can see, I moved a few inches to the right. That technically counts as moving."
"No time for that! We gotta leave!"
Grime raised a brow, watching as Anne hurriedly pack their belongings. She usually keeps herself clean and orderly, as a soldier would. "Leave? But we didn't schedule that until tomorrow. Why the rush?"
Anne shoved more and more of their junk into their bags, forcing them in. "No time to explain! Just go grab Domino 2!"
"Why am I supposed to grab it?! What if it eats me?! Only bones would be left!"
"DOMINO 2 ISN'T GOING TO EAT YOU!"
CLACK.
Anne stopped. "Wait, do you hear that?"
CLACK. CLACK.
Grime's senses tingled. "I know that sound..."
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.
Like a spring chicken, Grime hopped off the floor, following Anne closely behind. The two ex-soldiers burst through the front door, heading straight to the noise. There, just in the distance, a figure emerged, walking calmly towards them, her hands placed right behind her. Upon seeing their faces, the visitor smiled.
Anne took a deep breath. "Oh, crud."
"That armour..." Grime mumbled. He'd seen it before. "She's Newtopian military for sure. And quite a high-ranking one at that."
The visitor, upon seeing the two at the windmill, smiled toothily. "Former-Captain Grime – a pleasure to finally meet you."
Grime blinked.
He then cupped his hand into a makeshift speaker. "I don't know who you are!"
She sighed and immediately took a deep breath. This was getting tiring. "All right. Third time today. Let's do it!" She whispered to herself, a minor attempt to pump up emotionally. Clearing her throat, she began her introduction. "I am General Yunan, Scourge of the Sand Wars, Defeater of Ragnar—oh boy, why do you look like that?"
Grime raised a brow. "Like what?"
"L-like that! All messed up and decrepit!" She cringed. Quickly after, she covered her nostrils, fanning away the odour coming towards her. "Ugh, and I can smell your stench from here. It's as if you died on your way to the morgue."
The toad frowned. "Well, that's just rude. I don't go around insulting one's appearance. I've just had a bad week, that's all."
"Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean to offend yo—hey, wait a minute! Why am I apologizing?!"
Yunan lifted her hand, pointing directly at the toad. Her eyes burned with a deadly gaze, filled with murderous passion and adrenaline. "Former-Captain Grime! By order of the Newtopian Court of Justice, you are to be executed immediately and your head brought back as proof of execution!"
"Well, that took a dark turn." Grime hummed.
The newt continued. "Usually, I'd send other soldiers and even mercenaries to take you down. However, after seeing that it was you who was accused, I, General Yunan, decided to take it up with my own hands."
"You know me?"
She cackled. "Hahahaha! Of course! How could I not?" She said. "The Champion of the Coliseum, The Shellbreaker, and of course, the Lord of the Valley."
Lord of the Valley. Yes, he's heard of that epithet before and to be honest, he was not fond of it. There are only 4 Toad Lords and only those 4, one in each cardinal direction where a massive Toad Tower stood. There are other towers and outposts scattered all over Amphibia but these aren't Toad Towers. These places exist as branches to the main Toad Towers, extending the army's reach and territory.
The exception was Frog Valley's Tower. Due to the valley's isolated and central geography, connection to other Towers proved difficult. Thus, this Tower was established despite Frog Valley's smaller area of influence compared to others. Additionally, Frog Valley was also far more peaceful than any other section of Amphibia, meaning that military presence was only needed at the bare minimum.
But again, there are only 4 Toad Lords. And so Grime, although the commanding officer and lord of his own territory, was not a Toad Lord.
The ex-captain grumbled under his breath. "That's not an official position..."
Anne raised a brow. She wasn't sure what Grime was mumbling about but they had bigger issues at the moment. She stared at the newt, her hand on her blue sword's grip. "You know, for a general, you seem to be all alone. Where's your army?"
"I had an army once." Yunan stated before cracking a smile. She swung both arms to her side, gripping her fists. A pair of razor-sharp claws sprung from her gauntlets, its thin edge cutting the air itself. A brief silence followed and before anyone knew it, the trees around them toppled, cut down at their base.
"They slowed me down."
Anne stared. This General Yunan seemed quite formidable, more than anything she's ever faced. would be her response after witnessing such a threatening feat?
"... I can take her."
"No, you can't. Let's go!" Grime ordered, grabbing her hand and pulling her away.
The two, led by Grime, ran into the nearby woods, hoping to find cover and escape from their hunter. Anne, used to the route they took due to her training, easily barreled through with no problems. Her partner, however, he had some issues.
Not that it mattered much to Yunan who stood back and watched as they slowly disappeared more and more from her view.
Yunan sighed with a smile. "Ah, they always run away. I'll give them a head start. Keeps things interesting."
Meanwhile, back to the runaway duo, Grime couldn't help but groan in anger. "Gah, just my luck! They sent some psychotic glory hound after us! We'll never escape her." He fussed.
Had it been anyone else, he'd be confident enough to handle. But it just had to be the most dangerous person in Amphibia that was chasing after him. What a stroke of horrible luck.
Following him nearby, Anne voiced her complaint. "I could've handled her!"
Grime scoffed. "Please, my years as a commander did not disappear just because I lost my position. You would've been dragged across the dirt if you fought."
Anne frowned. "You don't know that! I've been training a lot and keeping my skills sharp! I'm stronger now!"
"Physical strength isn't everything. There's more to being a good fighter than how big of a boulder you can carry or how fast you can run. We're soldiers, not brutes." Grime replied. "Besides, I doubt we'd win, especially since you're having trouble using your powers."
Anne stopped, her eyes widened. He noticed? "How did you—"
"I might have let myself go since the exile but that doesn't mean I haven't been paying attention." He grumbled with a huff.
The cat's out of the bag. It wasn't as if Anne was trying to keep it a secret but...
"I-I've been trying. I really have! And for the most part, the super strength stuff works. It's just..." She paused and bit her lower lip. "Every time I use it in combat, I see her face. What I did was..."
She remembered every detail of that moment. How cold the night air felt in her lungs, the beatings of her heart growing louder with every passing moment, and the burning pain on her arm...
Anne glanced at her right forearm, bandaged not to heal but to hide the wound yet to vanish. Maybe it'll never go away, staying as a scar – a reminder of that very night. Sometimes, she can even feel it throb and pulsate, constantly mocking her and never letting her forget. A mark—no, a brand as a consequence.
Fuelled by her unstable emotions, she blacked out. It was only a moment – less than a second – but it shouldn't have happened. She shouldn't have let it happen. She almost paid the price for it.
Anne gritted her teeth and with her bandaged arm, wiped away any tears before they could properly form. "Grime, I... I can't do this again..."
She couldn't live with herself if it happened again. She couldn't even fathom living with herself if she caused another such incident. Otherwise, she'd never be able to face her friends and family again.
Grime stared at the girl, his former lieutenant, at the verge of a breakdown. Although she's quite gifted and extremely proficient as a soldier, it's easy to forget that this girl, Anne Boonchuy, was still just a child. The differing species made it difficult but a child is a child.
He sighed and looked straight at her. "I... seem to have misjudged you. I'll admit; for the longest time, I've been simply using you. You were an invaluable asset, one just waiting to be taken advantage of. But now, I realise—" He placed his hand onto her side, gentle and kind. "—you struggled so much and so unfairly. I should've been... a better friend."
"Me forcing my hand into your personal life is the reason we're here. I had thought that by removing your attachment to your former friend, you would've been more loyal and without weakness. But instead, I caused you great grief and left you with lingering scars."
"I'm sorry." Ugh, that never gets any easier.
Hearing that, Anne felt a bit at peace. It was still a far cry from what she wanted but every little step mattered. She even smiled, as faint as it was. "For the record, I knew the whole time you were just using me. I guess I never had the heart to fight back."
Grime smiled in return. "It's fine. We can remedy that later. Now let's get out of here and live another day!"
Anne nodded. She planned so hard to survive and she wasn't going to give that up so easily. So what if the one chasing them was quite possibly the worst person imaginable? That's just a bigger and more exciting challenge to face, and Anne was no quitter.
Invigorated by a blazing new friendship, Anne and Grime continued their run through the woods, jumping over roots, rocks and other ground-level obstacles. Eventually, after a few minutes of unstopped running, they faced their greatest obstacle ever: zero ground.
"Blasted! A cliff? Here, of all times?!" Grime yelled. Considering that windmills were often built on high-elevated areas, this shouldn't have been that big of a surprise.
"Ah, crud! What are we going to do?!" Anne said with a panicked tone. This was getting harder and harder.
They had to find a solution. Fortunately, Grime had one neither of them liked. "We are doing nothing. You, however, will be running to the left and I'll go right." He barked. "It's me that she wants. You can spare yourself by getting as far away from here as possible!"
Anne's eyes widened. "B-but—"
Doing so would save her life... but at the cost of Grime's. She wasn't sure why the newt general hasn't caught up to them but it was definitely not because they got away. It was a matter of time until she reached their location. And as physically fit Grime was – which differed depending on who said it – he'd never be able to avoid her claws.
9 out of 10, Grime's a dead man.
Unfortunately for her, time's run out. Speaking of the devil, their unwanted guest has finally arrived, looking as if she hasn't lost even a single drop of sweat. Seeing her targets, the newt grinned widely, bearing a sharp set of teeth.
"A-ha! There you are! It seems our little hunt has finally come to an end, and the winner goes to the great General Yunan, Scourge of the Sand Wars, Defeater of Ragnar the Wretched, the youngest newt ever—!"
"Do you really have to do that every time?!"
"Look, girl, I didn't get all of these achievements just so you can remain ignorant of them! I worked really hard to get to where I am! At the very least, you can respect the introduction!" Yunan huffed. She's only been here for less than a day and she already hated it. Although aiming to take Grime's life, Yunan glanced at the unmasked Anne, seeing her true appearance in full view. And much to her surprise, she noticed a resemblance. "Huh, now that I got a better look at you, you seem oddly familiar..."
Anne, with her sword unsheathed, glared at Yunan. "If you want him, you have to get through me!" She warned, her grip tightening.
Yunan laughed. She liked this girl at least. "I see no reason not to oblige! But seriously, you look very familiar. I mean, other than the skin tone and the hair and the height and voice, you remind me of someone. Do you have a sister or something?"
Anne raised a brow. "No...?"
"Oh, that makes it much better then."
TWAANG!
Suddenly and at Incredible speeds, Yunan lunged towards Anne, closing the distance between them almost instantaneously. Shocked but prepared, Anne lifted her sword upright, blocking the swipe that came soon after. Yunan's claws and Anne's blade made contact, sending sparks from the impact. The force was intense, easily pushing Anne back.
If this was the old her, she would've been in trouble. But the current her had been training for this moment, polishing the skills she's earned from the tutelage of the toad captain. She's honed the fundamentals and wasn't going down without a fight.
Anne fixed her form, her knees bent and her shoulders steady. She moved her sword left and right, up and down, blocking swing after swing of Yunan's deadly steel. Although the general's aggressive combat style continued to push her back without remorse, she was at least able to maintain herself. Wasting very little movement, Anne focused on blocking and dodging when necessary.
Eventually, the newt slowed down. It was a small change, almost unnoticeable, but Anne saw it and immediately without hesitation, took action. She blocked the next clash of steel but this time, added some extra force behind the counter. The two blades bounced off one another as usual, though Yunan's more so than before, causing her to lose balance slightly.
Anne swung her sword with all her might, aiming to end the fight with a single swing. Against an inexperienced opponent, it might've worked. But Yunan was anything but inexperienced. Using her tail, she gained some ground and hopped back by an inch, narrowly avoiding the blade from cutting her face. Yunan smiled, feeling a rush of adrenaline for the first time since she got here.
"Not bad! A bit novice but I can definitely see the hard work behind your swordsmanship." She complimented sincerely. Alas, that was all to it. "Unfortunately for you, you're not fighting the average Newtopian guard."
Yunan took a deep breath and her beating heart calmed down. With a focused gaze, she lunged at Anne a second time with the same stance, but with the extra push from her tail, she flew at breakneck speeds, getting close before Anne could even react. The teenager tried to block the claws coming at her as before but then, Yunan moved a few inches to the right.
With only a minor change, the trajectory of her swing shifted drastically. Anne was prepared to defend in that one direction. The change shifted the advantage to Yunan's favour, her swing carrying all her force and Anne's block being unprepared for an attack at a different angle.
SCHWIIING!
The claw hit Anne's sword but due to the angle, Yunan's strength won. She pushed the teenager's sword away, cutting her arm slightly.
"GYAH!" Anne shrieked, a stinging pain on her upper arm.
Grime gasped. "ANNE!"
Meanwhile, Yunan stepped back, admiring the crimson on her claws. She flicked her wrist, removing the liquid from her weapon. "Whoops, it seems I've drawn first blood. Must be my lucky day." She said in a joking tone.
Anne stared at her wound, blood slowly leaking. It was a shallow one; she must've gotten lucky and dodged in the nick of time. Ignoring it for now, Anne steeled herself.
Yunan smiled. "I like those eyes! Full of determination!"
Without eating any more time, Yunan continued her assault. Much like before, she went on the offensive, striking at Anne with quick yet powerful blows. Her movements were simple and predictable, and Anne wasn't sure if that was because the newt fought this way or if she was simply playing around.
She felt it was the latter and the thought of it made her nervous.
At one point mid-assault, Yunan's tail slithered around Anne's ankle. Too preoccupied with the claws, Anne failed to notice as the tail promptly wrapped around her leg and pulled, causing the girl to fall backwards. With her balance broken, Yunan stabbed at her head, though Anne narrowly dodged by tilting her head.
She then kicked the general off, pushing her back and giving herself time to recover. That was far too close for comfort and so far, the worst has yet to come. Yunan clapped her hands in a slow and almost sarcastic manner. "Bravo! You've got good reactions, though your spatial awareness needs a bit of work."
"Are you seriously giving feedback right now?!"
"Why not? There's nothing wrong with wanting others to improve. Hard work pays off better when you have guidance."
From the sidelines, Grime growled. "Hey! She's my friend and lieutenant! Get your own!"
Yunan chuckled. Jumping up high, she dived towards Anne, her right knee on point. Anne rolled out of the way, evading the knee crashing onto the soil. Before she could properly bounce back, however, Yunan twirled and whipped her tail at her. Anne stumbled back, the tail barely missing her head.
Not giving her time to breathe, the newt general leapt and shoved her claws, forcing Anne to guard. Her blue sword shrieked against the Newtopian steel, landing between the claws of the gauntlet. Any closer and the blade would hit the general's hand but Yunan was clever. With just a twist of her wrist, the blade stopped dead in its tracks, held in place by friction and pressure from her claws.
Anne's eyes widened. She couldn't remove her sword, not without excessive force. And worst of all, Yunan had a greater reach. With her free hand, she retracted her claws and grabbed Anne's arm, yanking her hand from the sword's grip. Using her superior strength and size, she spun and dragged Anne through the air before throwing her away.
The teenager crashed and rolled across the gravely dirt, stopping suddenly at a nearby rock. Although her chest armour protected her main body from harm, her exposed arms and legs were full of cuts and bruises. Her muscles and organ screamed in pain, her bones felt as if they cracked a bit, and she was experiencing the worst stinging sensation ever all over.
General Yunan was relentless. She was ruthless and most importantly, she was skilled – very skilled. Anne's intuition was right; the general wasn't fighting seriously. With every passing second, Yunan upped the ante and showed more of her skills, and little by little, Anne was being left behind.
She was reaching her limit. Unless...
Anne took a deep breath. Don't repeat that night.
Meanwhile, Yunan had a brilliant idea.
"You know, how would you like to join the Newtopian military? Like, I know that you're technically a criminal for conspiring with a wanted toad and assaulting a general – even though I started it – but it feels like a waste to just let you die here." Yunan offered. "Though, then again, you're not actually a criminal yourself. Not until you get recorded. So this might just work!"
"She'll never work for a bootlicker like you!" Grime yelled.
Yunan gasped. "Who told you that?! Who told you I once licked boots?!" She questioned in an oddly alarmed voice. "I was confused about the term as a child! How was I supposed to know it wasn't literal?!"
"... Wait, you actually licked a boot?"
"Look, I was a very innocent and naive newtling. The older kids used to push me around and lie to me and of course, being a child, I believed them. I didn't exactly come from a prestigious upbringing, okay?!"
Grime raised a brow. "You sure talk a lot, don't you?"
"This isn't a normal occurrence. Usually, I just kill my enemies and be done with it. It's just that I was really looking forward to fighting you, only to be disappointed, then I fought the gangly girl-thing and was having some fun." She blurted and whined. "Maybe I'm just enjoying this too much. Being in an office for so long has been really draining."
The toad nodded with a slight smile. "Oh yes, I understand. There are times when working as a toad captain is just too mentally and emotionally much. Did you know that my Toad Tower was attacked by a colony of buillotine ants? It was a nightmare but I've never felt so alive!"
Yunan groaned. "Uuuuggh, I know, right? I'd kill for some action from time to time. But noooooo, 'a general can't be in the middle of battle. That's what the footsoldiers are for. Leaders like us are indispensable.'" She mocked, paraphrasing the various officials that kept her from joining her fellows in arms. The newt then sighed. "Paper is the greatest foe I've yet to defeat, unfortunately..."
"Hear, hear, sister."
Yunan smiled and nodded, and Grime returned a gesture. It was a rare moment of commutuality, where a toad and a newt, despite their great differences and dislikes of one another, find common ground in the middle of a battlefield – their shared hatred of bureaucracy. Even in the period of 900 years, this was still an uncommon, maybe even mythical, sight to see.
"Oh well, back to killing, I guess." Yunan exclaimed nonchalantly. She bared her claws and stepped calmly towards the ex-captain. Grime, panicking and without a weapon, grabbed a detached branch from nearby. Yunan laughed. "Really? A stick? You're going to protect yourself with a stick?"
"I don't exactly have my sword with me at the moment!" He angrily replied.
Yunan shrugged. "Hmm, fair." She then swiped her claws casually, slicing the branch into perfectly cut pieces. This was followed by a kick at his chest, pushing him onto his back. "Now, be polite and try not to move too much. I want to get a clean beheading so that you'll fit into my decapitation bag. It's not meant for toads and their big heads but if I do it right, I'm sure I can shove it in nicely."
"Get... away... from him..."
Yunan blinked. She turned around and much to her surprise, the teenager known as Anne Boonchuy was still standing, clutching her sword in her right hand. Well, barely standing. She was sure she threw the girl with enough force to incapacitate her for a while but then again, she didn't have that much experience fighting against her kind. Yunan knew only one other person and Lady Olivia didn't like it when she was rough with the squirt.
Maybe her species was just naturally tougher. She'll have to ask later.
"Ah, a second wind! A cornered beast is always the most dangerous." She claimed with a grin, though quickly flipped. "Not that I'm calling you a beast or anything! You're a strong and independent creature who is clearly intelligent. Wait, that sounds as if I'm insulting you—"
FWOOOSH!
In a single leap, Anne rocketed towards Yunan, shattering the very ground beneath her feet. Within moments, she got into the general's personal space, much to the newt's surprise. Anne roared and swung to the right, her blue eyes glowing brilliantly within her obscured face.
Had it been anyone else, the sword would've cleaved across them like butter. But General Yunan, a soldier with years of fighting experience, was not like anyone else. Sensing danger approaching, she instinctively moved aside. But it was too unexpected and although the blade missed anything important, it did hit her pauldrons, slicing a piece of steel from above her shoulder.
Yunan quickly retreated for space. She touched the cut-off armour; it was a clean cut, slightly warm. She hummed. "Hmm... Well, this is a development."
She took a deep breath. Yunan readied herself.
Previously, to end this quickly, Anne had aimed for the chest since it was the biggest target. However, the newt general dodged easily. Thus, her next attack would be a little lower, around the waist. It's less protected and would be easier to hit, considering the height difference. Let's see if she can duck from that.
Anne took a step, ready to charge.
Unfortunately, she never got the chance.
SHWIIING!
... It was sharp. The pain she felt was sharp.
Anne stopped before her second step. Before she realised, Yunan was right next to her, her claws poised on her neck. Anne felt the blade pressuring on her delicate skin, right below the lump on her throat, enough to bleed.
"I wouldn't move if I were you." Yunan whispered in her ear.
Either it was Anne or Yunan that twitched but the girl felt the blade press deeper.
"You've got potential, girl with a trustworthy mask. I was serious when I said that you should train under me. I mean, I know one other girl and you could be great friends." Yunan offered, her voice neutral, unlike her usual boisterous self. "But I nearly died back then and that doesn't usually happen. So I'm giving one last chance to accept my offer. What'd you say?"
"... Will you stop hunting Grime if I do?"
"Eh..."
"Then no."
Yunan closed her eyes. "Well, that's a shame. I'll make sure your remains return to your next of kin. You do have family here, right? I'm not exactly sure how your species works and—"
"HNNGG-RAHHHH!"
Away from the two ladies in battle, Grime entered the fray. Recalling his lack of traditional weaponry, he quickly scanned his surroundings and chose the best possible weapon he could get other than a stick. General Yunan was right; a stick was useless.
A rock though? Rocks are good. But not just any rock. No, he needed something that wouldn't bounce harmlessly off her blades. He needed something that would do some real damage.
He chose a bigger rock.
Grabbing a boulder by the cliff's edge, he grunted and gritted, ripping the rock out of the ground. It was half his size and heavy as toad hell, but he was also out of shape so this was partially his fault. He should've kept training like Anne suggested, then maybe the two of them could've won easily. Instead, he spent the entire fight being an audience member.
Not anymore!
Lifting it onto his shoulder, Grime pucked the stone with a mighty roar and burst of violent red. Rage was a toad's greatest weapon and he'd be a fool to not harness it at this dire hour. The stone flew a good 10 meters and it would've hit the newt too if he didn't scream earlier. It's unfair how sound travelled faster than his big rock.
THUU-UM!
Yunan heard his shriek and leapt out of the way, pulling her claws off Anne and swiping her tail instead. The rock landed with a thud, digging into the earth. Yunan growled. "Hey, watch it! Wait your turn like everyone else!"
"Make me!"
She growled. Yunan stomped towards him. No more being chatty; she was going to end it right here, right now.
She took a step, ready to charge.
Unfortunately, she never got the chance.
KHG!
"H-huh?! What the—?!" She blurted. She couldn't move forward; there was something tugging her tail. Yunan turned her head and her eyes widened.
It was the masked girl whose name she didn't know. Anne was hugging her tail and holding it in place. She managed to catch it instead of being tossed, and from the looks of it, she wasn't intent on letting go. Yunan pulled some more, hoping to just 'brute force' through this problem. Consequently, it only made the girl hug it tighter.
"Nng...! Let go!"
"NO!"
"I said, let go!"
"NO!"
She pulled some more. "Will you please let go?"
"Only if you stop hunting Grime."
"Absolutely not!"
"Then, noooo~"
Oh, she hated this.
Yunan twisted her body, pulling her tail with her. Yet Anne held on, her feet literally dragging across the dirt. She wasn't going to give up that easily; it was the best chance she got. It was possibly the only chance she got.
Her blue eyes shined brightly.
Lowering her stance, Anne began pulling the tail to her. She tugged suddenly, causing the unscratched and completely clean general to fall onto the ground. "Ah! W-what's going on?!" Yunan asked. She's never felt this exposed before.
But Anne was not in the mood to answer. With Yunan now off her feet, she leveraged herself and pulled the tail upwards with all her might. This, in turn, pulled the rest of the body as well and before she could process what was happening, Yunan found herself 10 feet off the ground.
THUMP!
Anne slammed the newt back into the dirt, breaking the earth into a newt-shaped crater. Yunan heard her brain pinballing in her empty skull and her bones rattling against one another. Although that felt somewhat painful, it was still something she could handle—
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Over and over and over again, Anne threw the newt around. She'd lift Yunan by the tail, swing her in the air and then slam her down with incredible force. And before Yunan could properly recover, she'd do it again.
THUMP!
And again.
THUMP!
And again.
THUMP!
And again.
THUMP!
The great 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... was now lying in a crater roughly the shape of her. Flat as a pancake but not as tasty as one.
Anne breathed raggedly. "Haah... Haah... H-had enough?"
Yunan, with her tongue sticking out, made a noise. "Blegh..." Arms heavy, knees weak and feeling like spaghetti, she shakily propped herself up. "I... am so... going to keep you as a trophy..."
Yunan's not going to lie; she did not like her odds at the moment. She underestimated the wonder duo and it cost her. The masked girl whom she still hasn't learned her name yet was stronger than she looked. Unskilled but very strong. If she wasn't distracted by that washed-out toad, then none of this would've happened.
She'll have no choice but to brute force her way out.
"Ghhgg—!" Yunan grunted. She began pulling away from Anne, clutching the very ground. Anne reacted in the opposite direction, planting her feet solid.
It was a battle of strength – newt versus human. Who was the superior soldier? Who would reign champion? The answer: well, do you know what happens when you pull a chain really, really hard? It breaks at its weakest link.
SNAP!
...
...
Yunan blinked. Something was wrong.
Slowly and nervously, she placed her hand all over her body. Her legs were fine and so was her back. Her armour was still unscathed outside of a few dents and the sliced-off pauldron. But when she went lower, even below her chestplate and scale skirt, that's when she felt it.
It was horrible. It was genuinely terrible.
Her tail was gone.
"... AaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Meanwhile, Anne fell on her butt and as she watched Yunan scream in horror, she noticed a large piece of meat wiggling in her hand. She did not appreciate it at all. "WAH! AAAHHH! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOOOOOD!"
Anne threw away the detached tail, watching it throb and wiggle around the dirt as if it was still alive. Oddly enough, the tail was surprisingly active for a dismembered limb and for some reason, there was a clear lack of blood from the victim.
Anne stared at her hands and shuddered; oh lord, what has she done?
Yunan watched her tail twitching far behind her. She's never seen a part of her being removed like this. It felt like her soul was ripped out of her body. With teary eyes, she crawled to her beautiful and dying serpent, clutching it in her arms.
"My tail...! My beautiful tail...!" Yunan sobbed. "How could you do this...?"
Anne trembled, her lips quivering. "I-I-I didn't mean too... It w-was an accident!"
Slowly, the tail gradually moved less and less. And in mere seconds, it eventually stopped moving entirely. The tail which has been her partner for decades breathed its last breath.
It was gone.
"... I gave you my hand... I gave you an opportunity... And not only did you reject it but you also went out of your way to make me regret it..." Yunan glared deathly. "You're a monster. A dangerous and evil monster. And I'm glad you never got to be friends with Ma—"
"SUSPICIOUS GRAPPLE!"
"GWAAH!"
Suddenly, Grime swooped in, tackling the dejected general to the ground, her defeat now set in stone. Toads were known for their wrestling skills and in unarmed combat, they were second to none. As she struggled to free herself, Grime scooped her above his head and walked towards the cliff's edge.
"Tell those newt elitists that former-Captain Grime – drinker of Bog Grog, grower of magnificent beards, and watcher of Suspicion Island – is coming for them next, haha!" Grime exclaimed with a hearty cackle.
He then threw the newt general and Yunan screamed as she fell to her doom. Fortunately for her, there happened to be a river just below, one she luckily landed into.
"I'LL GET YOU TWO! EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST THING I'LL DOOOO!" Yunan yelled, swept away by the rapids.
Grime continued his laugh of victory. It was a mix of a mocking cackle and a heavy yet strong laugh. He earned it but really, he couldn't have sounded even more evil than he already did.
As the laughter died down, Grime stared at his hands, shaking in excitement. "I can't believe it. We actually survived! And we even got a trophy to boot! The tail of a Newtopian general? Now that's something worth in the history books, hahahaha!"
"You know what? Why settle for stories? I thought that I wanted to get back at those frogs but now, I realise I've been dreaming too small! Forget the frogs! I'm sending my complaint personally to the very top! It's high time a toad ruled this world for a change! Then we'll be writing those books ourselves!" He exclaimed, a toothy trademarked smile adorned on his face. "What do you say, Anne?"
Grime turned slightly, anticipating a response. But nothing came. "Anne?" He called again, turning fully.
Anne was still where she was, sitting with an expression of shock and stress. Yunan's tail... She dropped it when Grime tackled her and tossed her away. And right now, the unmoving limb was just... there, lying on the dirt in front of her.
She lost control. Holy pad thai.
"… BLAAARGH!"
Grime cringed. "Uh... T-there, there... You're going to be a-all right..."
"OH GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"
"It's okay... I get it; it's your first dismemberment. We toads witness it early in our life. Though, I'm guessing that's not the same with you humans, hm?"
"I JUST RIPPED HER TAIL OFF! OH MY GOD, WHY DID I DO THAT?!" Anne cried. Oops, second wave incoming. "BLAAAARGH!"
Grime looked uncomfortable. "Ugh, you sure can expel a lot, huh?"
Just as she finished, Anne bawled uncontrollably. She looked pale from all the vomiting, her emotions were a complete wreck and her body was sore all over. She was, without a doubt, in the worst state she's ever been and she knew it.
"SHE WAS RIGHT! I AM A MONSTER!" Anne cried some more, thick tears gushing out from her eyes. "GWAAHAHAA, I CAN NEVER GO BACK! I'M A MOOOONSTER!"
The toad frowned. He then grabbed her head and pulled her close, hugging her roughly. He then proceeded to stroke her hair and speak in a calm and soothing tone. "Shh, shh... Calm down and listen, Anne... You are not a monster. You just did what you had to do, that's all."
"B-B-BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TO RIP OFF HER TAIL!"
He hushed her. "Shh, it's okay... It was an accident... It happens in the heat of battle. You were just protecting yourself."
Anne sniffled. "And you..."
"Yes, and me. It's called self-defence and you know about self-defence, right? You told me you practised it. What was it called again? Muay Thai?"
She shoved her face into his biceps. "Hmm-hmm..."
"See? That was self-defence. And you did wonderfully."
"I-I did?"
Grime beamed. "You did. You did great. You were very strong." He whispered. "Now come on, how about we finish packing and leave? I'll carry the bags and Domino 2, and we'll get ourselves some ice-cream."
"I thought y-you hated Domino 2..."
He only smiled.
Anne hummed, her cheeks red and eyes puffed up. What she did was horrible and there was no forgiving that. To think that she was even capable of it scared her. It made her feel awful and dirty inside as if she's been tainted by the incident.
But what's done is done. And like Grime said; it was self-defence. She wasn't wrong; Yunan attacked them first. She only protected herself. She was only protecting herself.
Deep breaths, in and out.
Anne sniffed. "Okay... And I want two scoops."
"After what happened today, you can have as many scoops as you want."
Unbeknownst to the two of them, Anne's wounds began to close up and disappear, the barest light-blue glow emitting on the surface of her skin. No bruises, no cuts, no anything. Her skin was as clean and pure as if she was just born – as if she never got them in the first place.
With one exception, however; the bandaged scar remained, tingling with pink forces unknown.