Another chapter, another fight. Fun fact actually - when I first started drafting this, I only expected myself to have 13 chapters. Yet as I keep going, more ideas keep popping out and helping me enhance this further than what it originally would have been. Thank you guys for taking the time to read this story, I really do appreciate it. Enjoy!
PS - there is an important message at the bottom of this. Please be sure to read it.
Chapter 13: Griffin Captain vs The Pigman
The next morning, Tlopfest and Wardes met up in the alley behind the inn. Both rested and ready to fight….well, Wardes was at least. Tlopfest was still somewhat tired since he didn't get much sleep last night. Too busy thinking about what else could be in this world.
"Ugh…I really wish I didn't have that thought last night. Not the best time to do that kind of thing.."
"You seem a bit out of it, Tlopfest. Are you sure you are in fighting shape?" Wardes asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Tlopfest yawned, shaking his head to fight his drowsiness. "Just give me a sec and I'll be ready to go." With that, Tlopfest got his pan out and stood ready to fight.
"Oh? And what happened to that sword of yours?"
"Meh, just didn't want to fight with it for now. I'd rather not actually kill ya or anything if I can help it" Tlopfest responded. "Plus, I still don't trust Wardes. Showing him everything at once may come back to bite me in the rear…"
Wardes snickered at that. "Bold words coming from just a familiar."
Louise just watched with a hint of annoyance while holding said sword. "Really Tlopfest?"
Wardes got his rapier out, also settling into his fighting stance. "Well, I expect you to do well then, Tlopfest. May the best man win."
Tlopfest nodded. With that, the two stared at each other, waiting for the other to move. In this case, Wardes moved first, quickly trying to stab Tlopfest with his rapier. Lucky for Tlopfest, he was able to redirect it with his pan, making Wardes hit a nearby barrel instead.
"Funny enough," Tlopfest said as Wardes was getting his rapier unstuck, "one of my friends used to use a rapier when we battled. So don't think that just because you're fast that you can just one-shot me."
Wardes got his rapier unstuck. After smirking towards Tlopfest in acknowledgement, he rushed towards him again. Tlopfest was able to keep blocking, though he was slowly getting backed into a corner from Wardes' attacks.
"Alright, that's enough of that." Tlopfest started lunging with his pan, only to miss Wardes by just a hair, though it did get him to step back. The same pattern kept going on for a few minutes: stab, block, smack, move, stab, block, smack, move. By the end of this, Wardes was starting to grow irritated and tired, while Tlopfest was still up on his feet ready to battle.
"What, you got your stamina too low or something Capt'n?" Tlopfest mocked.
"Enough of this already." Wardes muttered under his breath. Quickly reaching into his pocket, Wardes grabbed something that glowed a light yellow in his hand and crushed it in said hand, but not before Tlopfest noticed the glow.
"Crud, so they were right. Wardes does have thaum crystals. But-" Before Tlopfest could finish that thought, Wardes quickly got back to his feet and rushed him, stabbing Tlopfest before he could react. Said attack seemed to deal three hearts worth of damage.
"Ow, dang it!" Tlopfest held his shoulder in minor pain, his eye glowing more red. "Ok then, you want to play it that way, we'll play that way." Getting back into stance, Tlopfest rushed to Wardes in an attempt to bash him with his pan again, only to be blocked by the very same rapier that injured him. Even though Tlopfest couldn't get any hits on Wardes, he was able to back him up some, although he did get stabbed again. Before Wardes got fully into a corner though, he started muttering under his breath.
"Watch out Partner!" Derf yelled. Just as he said that, and got Tlopfest's attention away from the battle for a split second, Wardes unleashed a whirlwind spell on Tlopfest, flinging him back to the wall and into the stack of barrels from before, finishing off the rest of his hearts.
"Ah….crud." Tlopfest muttered before he fell to the ground unconscious.
"Tlopfest!" Louise yelled, running to him to check on him.
A few hours later, Tlopfest started to wake up, thankfully not back on the ground where he fought Wardes, but instead back in his room on the bed. Tlopfest slowly sat up, trying to get his bearings again.
"Man, that's the second time I've died here…I guess it's good that I at least wake up eventually, but still.." Tlopfest rubbed his head in annoyance. "Arugh, and then there's Wardes actually having those Thaum crystals. This is bad…"
As Tlopfest was thinking to himself, Louise came in and saw Tlopfest sitting up. "Ah, you're awake Tlopfest!" She rushed over to the bedside, her 'rule of steel' facade breaking momentarily in her relief. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah….yeah." Tlopfest patted her head a couple of times, snapping her back to her usual self. "Just got my butt handed to me by your fiance is all."
Louise quickly got Tlopfest's hand off of her. "Well of course you did, he is the captain of the griffin squad after all."
Tlopfest rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Still doesn't feel great, ugh."
"Although, even I must admit that he seemed to have taken things a bit too far."
"You can say that again." Tlopfest hopped off the bed, stretching a bit to get some feeling back into his legs. "Honestly it almost seemed like he got mad at me for some reason."
Before Lousie could retort however, Tlopfest jerked up, remembering what exactly Wardes did to him. "Ah, right. Look, Louise, remember how I said I didn't fully trust Wardes?" Louise nodded, although obviously still against that idea. "Well, turns out he somehow got his hands on some Thaum crystals."
"On what now?"
"Remember Thaumaturgy? Cloud ring and everything? Long story short, elemental crystals are the basics for Thaumaturgy back home. Seems like some of them ended up scattering around here, and Wardes got his hands on some. He used one during our battle."
"W-what? That's impossible! Wardes wouldn't cheat, I know it!"
"Please then, ask him yourself. Or, scratch that, don't. I don't know how well he'd take it if that was brought to light with him."
"What the hell are you going on about Tlopfest? Wardes is a great man, and I know he wouldn't cheat on a duel!"
"Well, that's what happened unfortunately."
Louise, stubborn as she was, slapped Tlopfest upside the head and stormed out, not wanting to believe the pigman's words.
"Sigh Great…just what I needed." Tlopfest sat back on the bed, head in hands, trying to think of some way to get through to Louise.
A little while later, while Louise was still fuming from their argument, Tlopfest quietly slipped out of the hotel, retracing his steps back to the Crystalline group's hideout with Derflinger strapped to his back. After almost getting lost in the alleyways, Tlopfest found the door their hideout hid behind and knocked. The guard behind the door opened up the eye slit and, recognizing Tlopfest, shut the slit and opened the door. Nodding his head in thanks, Tlopfest quickly went down the steps to the lair proper. A couple of the group members noticed Tlopfest and ran off. Making his way to the center of the room looking for Geoffry, said man came out of one of the side areas, somewhat surprised by the pigman's return.
"Ah, you're back already monster?"
"It's Tlopfest Geoffry, not monster."
"Right, right, Tlopfest. Anyhow, did you beat that mage of ours up? Teach him his lesson?"
"Unfortunately, no, not yet." Tlopfest sat down at one of the nearby tables, with Geoffry sitting across from him, understandably upset.
"Then what are you doing back here?! Our deal was-"
"To make the mage pay in return for some more Thaum crystals, yes, I know. I am still sticking with that deal, but before that happens…" Tlopfest turned to face Geoffry directly. "I need to know everything you guys have on that man. HIs whereabouts, what he likes to do, his interests, everything." Tlopfest's eye started glowing a tinge of red after this. "The man is hiding something, and not just that he has some crystals. Not only that, but he crushed a crystal in his hand earlier, not putting it against a wand." Geoffry was somewhat surprised at this. "So as I said," Tlopfest continued, "tell, me, everything."
Meanwhile, with the sun beginning to set, Louise and Wardes are seen outside of the inn, packing up their things in preparation for the trip up to Albion. Getting the last of their belongings on the horse, Louise turns back to the inn.
"As much as he probably deserves to be left behind, I should go and get that stupid familiar of mine and Guiche out here so we can go."
"Ah, do not worry about those two Louise." Wardes said, gesturing to her to hop on. "I heard that those two decided to head back and wait for us at the academy."
"What? Why would they do that?" Louise asked, confused at this sudden bit of information.
"Does it matter? That familiar and friend of yours don't seem to be able to protect you. If anything, they just slow us down."
Louise was somewhat shocked to hear that from Wardes. "Why would you say that Wardes? If anything, it was you who went too hard on my familiar!"
Wardes sighed, getting somewhat agitated. "In any case, if we want to get to Albion, we need to go. Now." Wardes held out his hand to Louise. Louise, for her part, wavered for a moment before taking his hand and hopping on.
"Was Tlopfest right about Wardes?" Louise silently asked herself as she got behind the man. Worry started to show on her face as they quickly made their way to the port proper.
After a lot of talking and getting all the information he could from the group, Tlopfest quickly made his way back to the inn, surprised as to how late it was becoming.
"Crud, crud, crud, CRUD! I knew there was something wrong with that man, and I left Louise all alone with him! I need to get her away from him, stat!"
Making his way back to the inn, Tlopfest failed to notice the missing griffin, nor did he notice Guiche rounding the corner before he ran into him in his haste.
"Ack, watch where you are going you idiot!"
"I should be saying that to you!" The two shouted at each other before recognizing the other. "Guiche! Where's Louise? More importantly, where's Wardes?!"
"I-I don't know! I just checked their room and neither of them was there. The boat is going to leave here soon so…" Guiche didn't get to finish his sentence before Tlopfest turned around and started running to the town in hopes of finding the port before the boat left. "Tlopfest!"
Suddenly, before Tlopfest could take one step off the property, tremors started up around the two. "What is this, an earthquake!?" Tlopfest yelled out. Yet instead of settling down, a mound before the duo started growing out of nowhere, shaping itself into a familiar golem shape. "What…?"
Above them, a recognizable laugh echoed down to them. Looking up, Tlopfest saw a green haired woman looking down with a smug grin on her face.
"Fouquet?! When did you get out?!"
"Does it matter?" Fouquet responded haughtily. "A friend of mine got me out of that wretched cell, and now I can properly thank you for putting me away!" Fouquet continued to laugh as she sicked her golem on Guiche and Tlopfest, both of whom were able to get away thankfully.
Just as they landed though, they heard a low horn sounding across the port town. "That's the last call for the boat! Tlopfest, we gotta hurry!" Guiche cried out.
"Arugh! We don't have time for this! Guiche!" Tlopfest reached behind him to access his inventory. "Get down, now!" Right as he finished saying that, Tlopfest pulled out his hellfire staff, immediately fiddling with the settings to ensure the surrounding property was damaged as little as possible.
"Wh-why do you still have that?!" Fouquet cried out, remembering what it did to her last golem. Guiche could only get down when Tlopfest pulled out his staff, fearing for his life.
Aiming it at the golem, Tlopfest responded to Fouquet. "Doesn't matter now, does it? Eat hellfire you stupid golem! Nuke!" With that, a smaller, but still powerful, green meteor fell down and instantly took out the golem, with the effect of also showering a bit of hellfire in the surrounding area. Thankfully, with just about everything being made of stone, it didn't catch.
Gritting her teeth in frustration, Fouquet made to flee. "Tsk, you may have gotten my golem again, but at least I got to stall you!" Laughing at her minor victory, Fouquet quickly jumped away and disappeared from sight.
"Come on Guiche!" Tlopfest pulled the somewhat cowardly earth-mage to his feet, slipping his hellfire staff back into his inventory as well. "We gotta go now!"
"It's too late…" Guiche said sadly. Overhead, the two saw a flying ship pass by, quickly heading to the horizon. "That was supposed to be our ship to Albion."
"..." Tlopfest stepped away from Guiche, trying to keep calm, although failing to do so. With animalistic rage showing in his reddened, brightly glowing eye, Tlopfest yelled out to the retreating ship in rage. "WARDES! JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"
Meanwhile, on the ship, as Louise sat on the couch lost in thought, Wardes got a slight shiver up his spine, faintly hearing the cries of the enraged pigman. "Doesn't matter," he thought, "Soon enough we won't have to worry about that familiar or any of Loiuse's friends getting in our way…"
Hey guys, hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'm sorry to say that I have some bad news. This is the final prepped chapter that I currently have available, and I haven't been working on this as much as I would have liked. On top of this, one of my dogs just passed away yesterday. So for now, this story will be on pause, both to let me catch up and have some time to grieve for my dog.
BUT DO NOT FRET! When I posted the first chapter of this story to this site, I made a promise to complete said story, no matter what. As a man of my own word, this story WILL be completed! I am hoping to get the next chapter out here before the end of the year, if not then sometime in January 2023. I promise, this story will be done. I've still got some ideas swimming around this head of mine, and even more popping up to make future chapters better. Until then, I'll see you guys around.
