Chapter 30: Tangerines
"KRA-KOOM!"
A storm was raging. Waves became mighty towers of sheer force, crashing against the Cutty Sark as it bobbed up and down. Lightning cracked and boomed. Wind battered against the seemingly humble ship.
Sasori was in the Lotus Position before the mast. His Akatsuki cloak had been unzipped, so that more Chakra Strings could attach himself to the riggings and sail. Even with this, every available hand was needed to aid Sasori, the storm was that intense.
"Tsuyu! Give me a little slack on your end!" Jinbe shouted from his Helmsman position.
"Got it!" the Pro-Hero let her rope slide a foot.
"THAT'S IT!" the instant Jinbe said that, he spun the wheel to port, avoiding a particularly nasty blast of gale-force wind.
On the Starboard side, Halibel was pointing outward with Tiburon, pulsing out her Reishi to deflect the water.
On Port side, Kisame had brought his hands together for a prolonged 'Water Style: Water Wall' for the same effect.
"Incoming!" Usopp shouted, having tied himself into the Crow's Nest, spyglass in hand.
"Sanji!" Nami shouted, pointing up.
"On it! Skywalk!" Sanji kicked himself into the air, Armament Haki at the ready, Observation Haki guiding him. "Concasse!"
"KRA-KOOM!"
And he kicked the lightning away!
Never forget that these are the pirates that made it to Laugh Tale.
"Juvia!" Kisame shouted, still holding the same Hand Sign. "Get on the bow! Stop that wave from dousing us!"
"Right!" The Witch ran up. And without a second to spare, she conjured her 'Water Claw'. It crashed the tsunami back into the wave behind it.
"There's our window!" Jinbe called out. "Kisame, Halibel! Keep our sides clear just a little longer!"
"Make it quick!" Kisame sounded strained. Halibel simply attempted to keep her breathing steady. After all, both of them were fending off a tsunami a second.
"Cyborg! Get ready!" Sasori snapped, already irritated. "Don't keep us waiting!"
OoOoOoO
"FWOOM!"
"Of course Poseidon sends a storm now!" A certain spider thought in irritation as it clung to the window. "No…calm down. It's just what happens when he senses someone leaving a locked-down territory. We'll be out of it shortly. Then…I'll go on ahead and prepare the next stage of my plan. I've gotten everything I want…Lord Cipactli's objective will all be in due time."
Yee Naaldlooshii grinned, knowing the time was near where it'd really enjoy itself.
OoOoOoO
"NOW!" Jinbe roared.
"COUP DE BURST!" Franky answered from below.
"POW!"
The Cutty Sark went airborne. After 10 seconds of airtime, they'd made it past the edge of the storm.
"SPLOOSH!" The ship landed back in smooth waters, the dark clouds behind them.
"Plop."
Unnoticed, the Skinwalker dropped into the ocean before the ship stilled. Once out of sight, it morphed. The front half became a distorted mockery of a swordfish. The back became two legs in dress pants and shoes.
"Alright…let's go. Skywalk!"
And with a particularly strong kick, the Skinwalker was gone.
OoOoOoO
A day had passed since the storm. No further incidents had disrupted the peaceful travel.
"Rah! Thunk!"
Well… a small pack of Fiji Mermaids was accosting the crew. But really, this was no concern. In fact, a few of the crew were still napping. One was in the process of trying.
"Could you keep it down?!" Grimmjow shouted from his personal lawn-chair. Yes…the crew had given him a lawn-chair…they're nice like that.
"You know…you can just go inside," Kisame pointed out as he leaned over the railing to watch the show.
Grimmjow gave what was nearly a growl. He'd found a perfect spot to soak in the sun…and he hadn't had his required 18 hours of napping. "I ain't leaving this spot."
"Hehe…suit yourself," Kisame turned back.
"Roundhouse Kick!"
"BLURGH!"
"Oh…that looks like it hurt," Kisame laughed as a Fiji corpse flew past his ear.
See, Tsuyu was handling the Fiji flock all on her own. Jinbe was in the water of course, just in case. Granted, it was an unnecessary precaution.
"Alright, see if you can keep the force of the water going through multiple targets," the Fishman instructed.
"Okay, ribbet!" She cocked a fist back.
"Thousand Brick Fist!" "PEW!" The force was great enough to go through three Fijis in a row.
"Well done!" Jinbe declared.
"YEAH! Now punch the water out of them!"
"Kisame! How many times do I have to tell you?! Fishman Karate doesn't do that!"
"Not yet it doesn't."
"What was that?"
"NOTHING!"
"Anyways," Jinbe turned back to Tsu. "That was the last of them, let's head back."
"Yes, Sensei."
OoOoOoO
"Halibel."
"Apacci, what is it?"
"…I want you to spar with me."
The elder Hollow looked at her companion for a good while.
"What's brought this on?" Halibel wondered.
"Umm…well…never mind," Apacci mumbled as she turned her face down. She began to walk off.
"Apacci, I didn't say no," Halibel put a hand on her shoulder. "It's just that you've never asked during our entire time in Hueco Mundo. I'm merely curious on the change."
"I…I just want to be stronger," Apacci muttered.
Halibel raised an eyebrow. She could tell that wasn't the full story, but decided not to call her out on it.
"Let's see what the timetable towards Khemenu is…then we'll see where we can fit in a proper spar," Halibel then put a hand on Apacci's shoulder. "And by the way…you do know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"Yeah…" Apacci forced a small smile before walking off.
A bit later, Halibel found herself outside the medical quarters.
"Oh…Ms. Halibel, what brings you here?"
"Hello, Hanataro. May I ask you something?"
The Soul Reaper seemed bemused that she'd come to him of all people, but he nodded.
"Have you noticed Apacci acting unusual lately?" Halibel took a seat.
"Umm…wouldn't you be the one to know?" Hanataro asked, before his face paled. "OH! I'm sorry….I didn't mean to imply anything!"
"It's alright," Halibel assured him.
"Well…it's just she was always by your side in Hueco Mundo. I…wouldn't really know what's weird for her," Hanataro looked down. "Sorry I couldn't be more helpful."
"I don't know," Halibel gave a small smile. "She does seem to be fond of sticking with you."
"Probably because I'm the only other person from our world," Hanataro shrugged.
"That is true. Now…I'm hoping to find Mila-Rose and Sung-Sun sooner rather later. Perhaps that'll help whatever is ailing Apacci," Halibel pondered out loud.
She got up and began wandering out.
"Could you let me know what's bothering Apacci…if she tells you?"
"Of course!" Hanataro instantly replied.
"Thank you."
OoOoOoO
"Nami-Swan!"
The navigator gave a deep sigh. "Yes, Sanji?"
"Why don't you sit down with us?" the cook asked, clearly eager for the possibility.
"Sorry, just watching you cook is almost too much," Nami deliberately looked away from the stove.
"I think what Sanji means," Mirajane paused as she set the table, "is that we all still want to spend time with you when we're already together."
"And I appreciate the offer," Nami gave a small smile. "But I'll be fine." She got up and walked to the door.
CLICK. "Oh, Nami!"
"Hey, Usopp," she began to sidestep.
"Oh…before you go," Usopp immediately picked up on her mood. "The modifications to the Clima-Tact are done. It took Franky and me some brainstorming, but we did it. Now, you should be able to recreate what you managed with Zeus."
"Oh!" a more natural smile crept into Nami's expression. "It even feels stronger! We'll be arriving at Mikan Island tomorrow morning. We'll test it out there."
"By the way!" Usopp just then recalled. "Sasori was really interested when we were working on it…so he wanted you to know he was open to adding Chakra to it, if you let him study it."
Nami shuddered at the thought. "Maybe later." The navigator moved back to her post on deck. "Thanks again!"
"No problem!"
Once Nami was well out of earshot, Sanji turned to Usopp, unusually serious.
"Hey, Usopp, when it comes to Sasori, maybe you should keep things a little closer to the chest," he suggested.
"Sanji," Mirajane chastised. "He's part of our crew."
"I hope so," Sanji darkly muttered.
On that note, the rest of the crew began to file in one by one for dinner.
OoOoOoO
Next morning, Mikan Island was within sight. It was of a modest size, with enough tilled land to easily support a town, and a forest covering the rest of the landmass.
Said town seemed a humble creation. It had a few hundred buildings clustered around the mouth of a stream that fed into the sea. Around the town was a series of bulwarks, which were currently in use.
There were around a hundred men and women at their posts.
And facing them, a herd of berserker animals were charging in staggered rows. The most common sights were deer and squirrels, though there was the occasional bear, wolf, opossum, and raccoon.
"Ready on my mark!" A resonating female voice commanded.
From over the wall, a dozen rifles and a similar number of arrows peeked out.
"Aim!"
Nami's eyes widened.
"FIRE!"
"POW! POW! POW!"
A good quarter of the animals went down, black blood gushing from their wound. And it wasn't just bullets and arrows that did the job. Anyone particularly eagle-eyed would notice wind gusts, probably from a Sand Chūnin. Plus, there was the occasional hand-sized rock, courtesy of an Earthbender.
"Well…looks like they've already got it handled," Tsu remarked in that deadpan way of hers.
Those words didn't seem to register to their navigator.
"Milky Road!"
In an instant, she'd formed a trail of clouds linking all the way to the island.
"What the?! Nami!" Sanji shouted.
"Hold on!" Brook called out.
Within seconds, the rest of the crew had left the ship as well (minus Sasori and Grimmjow), Franky quickly dropping anchor before following.
After another shout of "FIRE!" the animals had been reduced to half their number.
By now, Nami had reached the land.
"THUNDERBOLT TEMPO!"
And with that, Nami ended the battle in one stroke.
The animals gave brief cries of pain, before they all collapsed.
"HOLD FIRE!" that female voice from earlier called out.
The apparent commander stepped out of the defenses, revealing herself.
She was just barely past the six foot mark. Her hair was a shade of fuchsia, styled in an eye-catching Chelsea hawk cut. An old Marine jacket hung off her back like a cape. A sleek rifle was propped up on her shoulders.
"Mom?"
A cigarette fell from the obviously shocked woman as she stared at Nami.
"Miss Bell-mere, who is that?" A young Sand Chūnin asked.
"Is it really you?" Bell-mere let her rifle clatter to the ground, her eyes wide.
"MOMMY!" Losing all composure, Nami dashed forward, embracing the shocked woman.
"Hey, hey," Bell-mere quickly collected herself. She returned the embrace, stroking Nami's hair. "Shh, it's alright."
By now, the rest of the crew had caught up.
Usopp seemed just as stunned at the sight. "Is that…"
"Yeah, I remember the photograph," Sanji confirmed.
"Umm…could the non-pirates get clued in here?!" Apacci demanded.
"Wait…that's Nami's mother?!" Brook gasped.
At that confirmation, the Fishman helmsman looked down.
"Jinbe," Halibel put a hand on his shoulder. "You alright?"
"Yeah," he quickly nodded.
"Okay then," Kisame stated in an even tone. Still, he was keeping an eye on his friend.
Eventually, Nami and Bell-mere broke their hug.
"Wow…you're all grown up," the ex-Marine gave a gentle smile. "Still taller than you though."
"Hehehe," Nami blinked her watery eyes. "Guess you are."
A comfortable silence.
"So…aren't going to introduce me to your friends, they've been awfully patient," Bell-mere raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"Oh…Mom, well," Nami gave an embarrassed blush. "Thing is…Ibecameapirate."
"…say that again."
"I became a pirate…and this is my crew," Nami rubbed her arm.
"Oh…a pirate," Bell-mere seemed to take a moment to process that, what with being a former Marine and all.
A full minute of silence.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay."
Bell-mere gave a half-hug. "I can tell you're still the little girl that ran through the tangerines and screamed at Nojiko."
"Hehehe…still maybe you should take a seat for the rest of the story. See, my crew made it to Laugh Tale…and my captain became King of the Pirates," Nami giggled.
"Oh…wow," Bell-mere shook her head. "You know what? I'll need a seat and a drink! Say, you're old enough! Wanna join me for one?"
Nami guffawed. "Yeah sure. Anyway, introductions!"
"BELL-MERE-SWAN!"
"Oh boy."
One by one, the crew introduced themselves. And for the most part, Bell-mere took it in stride. Granted, a certain someone got whacked for being asked to show her panties.
Still, the mood took a serious downturn eventually.
"Nice to meet you, Halibel," Bell-mere gave the standard handshake.
"And this is our Helmsman, Jinbe," Nami gave a large smile.
"Warlord…First Son of the Sea, I know who he is," Bell-mere's tone grew distinctly colder.
"Umm…it's a pleasure to meet you," Jinbe held out a hand.
The ex-Marine simply stood still for a full minute. Then she started walking back to town, her face downturned.
"We'll be at the bar for a bit. Catch up and all that." Bell-mere gave a wave to the others.
Nami gave an apologetic smile to Jinbe, before catching up to her mother.
Before leaving, Bell-mere gave a last look.
She was staring at Kisame.
Shaking her head, Bell-mere resumed her stride.
"Well that was awkward!" the Sand Chūnin exclaimed. She turned to the others. "Come on, let's get you all something to eat."
The Earthebender sighed at the blatant attempt at changing the mood.
OoOoOoO
Later, in the bar, Bell-mere gave Nami an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, but I felt I should leave before I said something I'd regret."
"I get it…I really do," Nami responded. "But Mom…Jinbe had nothing to do with Arlong anymore."
"Honestly, that's half the problem," Bell-mere grumbled. "Wasn't he his Captain or something?!"
"Mom…I heard their full story. Fisher Tiger, Jinbe, Arlong, all of it. It's not my story to tell, but I will say this. Jinbe is not at fault. He's done absolutely everything he can for Fishmen AND Humans…and I don't want you to ignore that."
Bell-mere took a deep breath. "All right sweetie. I'll work past this. But know that this is for your sake…not his."
"It's a start," Nami sighed, absentmindedly swirling her beer.
"Still, I don't think I'll ever be comfortable around that other Fishman…he reminds me of Arlong too much."
"Well, can't argue with you there," Nami then started to chuckle. "But you're kind of off the mark."
"Oh?"
"He's not a Fishman."
A moment of silence.
"You're shitting me."
"MOM! Language!"
Both girls erupted into laughter.
"But seriously," Nami got them back on track. "Kisame's a Ninja."
"Huh…you don't say? Matsuri over there is a Ninja too…Sand, if I'm remembering right."
"Hmm…that's neat."
Another comfortable silence.
"Sweetie, something else is bothering you," Bell-mere's normal smile morphed into a more pensive expression.
"Huh…can't hide anything from you, can I?" Nami gave a bitter laugh.
"Talk to me." Bell-mere gently insisted.
"…I made a mistake…"
And so, Nami told Bell-mere everything that happened at Tamatoa's Horde. The older woman couldn't help but roll her eyes when Nami described how she pulled a sleight of hand for a gold medallion. The good-natured ribbing became a gape of sheer horror when she heard WHAT that Gold Medallion did.
Bell-mere dropped her drink when she heard Cipactli himself was now targeting Nami. Not even the loud shattering of the glass snapped her out of it.
Nervous, Nami rubbed her tattooed arm.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Bell-mere had gotten up and embraced Nami.
"My baby girl," her voice no more than a whisper. "I'm going to be there for you."
"Huh?" Nami started.
"Every day after I woke up, I'd always regret how short our time together was. Now, I'm going to see this through with you."
"Mom?!"
"I'm going with you…at least until your curse is lifted."
"Mom! That's…you can't…"
"I can. In fact, let me show you something," Bell-mere unstrapped her rifle, and pointed it at her hand.
"Wait!"
BANG!
"Ahh!" From outside, the Earthbender, by the name of Yā, immediately dove to the ground.
"SORRY!" Bell-mere shouted.
"Mom!" Nami grabbed the woman's hand, only to pause.
Because Bell-mere had caught the bullet, with her whole forearm covered in a black sheen.
"Wha…?"
"I wasn't just sitting around twiddling my thumbs in this life. And besides…I was a Marine Captain…I at least knew where to start. So…I wasn't going to let myself get shot ever again."
The mood darkened for a brief moment, before Nami fondly shook her head.
"How could I say no to that?"
"Alright!" Bell-mere got back up. "I better go and pack. Oh…and I've got a Tangerine tree…let's grab as much of that as we can…I know it's your favorite."
"Umm…I don't think I'll be back to normal in time for those," Nami protested.
Bell-mere shrugged. "You never know. Wouldn't it be nice for these to be the first thing you can eat again?"
Nami blinked, her eyes watery. "Yeah."
OoOoOoO
The crew had just finished a lunch. Matsuri insisted on being a good host…even if everyone could see her twitching at the sight of Kisame.
Anyway, a little after the meal, Nami and Bell-mere had returned. The latter had a backpack slung over one shoulder, with her rifle on the other.
"Umm…" Hanataro looked at the newcomer.
"I'm coming with you," the ex-Marine simply stated.
"What?" Kisame flatly asked.
"You heard me," Bell-mere glared at him.
"Is there a problem?" Halibel's cool voice made itself heard, despite her not seeming to raise it.
"Hmmm…no," Bell-mere turned her gaze to the ship. "Alright you maggots, time's a wasting!"
Usopp raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah…she was a Marine Drill Sergeant," Nami shrugged.
"Oooohhhh," all the Straw Hats nodded in unison.
OoOoOoO
Within the hour, the crew had settled in again, ready to move out. Sasori in his Lotus position beneath the mast, and Jinbe at the helm.
"Oh yeah, let's go!" Bell-mere enthusiastically shouted.
Sasori rolled his eyes at just how loud the newcomer was.
"Alright," Jinbe nodded. "We're only two days away from Khemenu. So, try and get as much rest and recuperation as you can."
Bell-mere looked at the Fishman for a bit. "Right."
OoOoOoO
The inhabitants of Mikan Island watched as the Cutty Sark sailed away.
"Hmm," Yā the Earthbender seemed ill at ease.
"What is it?" Matsuri the Sand Chūnin asked.
"It's just…something feels off about this whole thing," the Bender brought a hand to his chin.
"How so?" Matsuri raised an eyebrow.
"It all seems…convenient," Yā mused. "Two days ago, Bell-mere washes up on shore with nothing but her clothes and rifle. Then all of a sudden, all the animals attack us, after showing NO signs of aggression the whole time we've lived here."
Matsuri kept listening intently.
"And right in the middle of the attack is precisely when the crew arrives."
Matsuri looked at her Bending friend. "What exactly are you getting at? Do you think the crew actually controlled the attack…Sasori was with them after all."
"No, I don't think so. That Nami seemed genuine enough at least."
"Then what?" Matsuri pushed.
"Look, I was with the Dai Li. I know when something's meant to be seen. And that attack…I think that crew was meant to see it."
Matsuri looked thoughtful. "So do you think we should or shouldn't prepare for another attack?"
"Hmm…I don't think another will come for us…we are usually too small to be noticed, but never hurts to be prepared."
"Right."
OoOoOoO
On deck, Bell-mere was sitting with Nami. Dinner was done and
Tired, the navigator had slumped against her. In response, Bell-mere was stroking her hair.
"Hey…do you mind showing me that medallion that caused all this trouble? You kinda got me curious now."
"Oh, I just keep it right here," Nami brought up her Clima-Tact. She pushed her fingers in a dizzying array of buttons.
Then, a slot popped open…and there it sat.
The Medallion. The skull seemed to glower up at Bell-mere. The Nahuatl pictographs promised a fate of eternal suffering.
To those of a particular spiritual inclination, they would swear that they could 'hear' the Medallion with it exposed.
"Mom!"
Almost unconsciously, Bell-mere had been reaching for that accursed relic.
"Oh…I don't know what came over me," the older woman nervously laughed. "You better keep that locked up."
Nami clicked the Clima-Tact back into place, and yawned.
"Come on, let's get you to bed," Bell-mere gently took her by the hand and led the way.
A little later, she was tucking her daughter in.
"Mom…I'm not a baby anymore," Nami protested. Nevertheless, she didn't resist.
"I know," Bell-mere mumbled, in an almost wistful tone. "Good night."
And just like that, Nami was out like a light.
Bell-mere smiled, closing the door. Her mind went back to that Medallion.
"Not yet…not yet."
OoOoOoO
Omake: Mistletoe
The Holidays were upon the crew. And of course, one certain tradition made itself known.
Sanji had gotten his hands on some mistletoe, and was making his rounds.
First, he'd caught Mirajane at the kitchen door. She giggled and kissed him right on the nose. Naturally, Sanji was out for the rest of that day.
Next, he'd put one up in the middle of the 1st deck hallway, timing it so that he'd catch Nami.
She was not amused.
The "WHACK" of her hand ringing the cook's brain like a gong was heard all throughout the ship.
Once he got his head back on straight, Sanji put his weapon of choice over the door downstairs.
This time, Juvia was the one at the receiving end. Even if she was spoken for, she still gave the standard kiss on the cheek…even through her muttering apologies to her 'darling Gray'.
Unfortunately for Sanji, that's where his luck ran out.
He'd decided to put it by the armory, hoping that Apacci would adhere to tradition.
He was wrong. The door opened, revealing Apacci, and her cannon pointing right at Sanji's face.
"You've got 10 seconds to get out of my face…9…8."
"Oh, Apacci-Swan! Your spirit is such a lovely sight!"
"7…skip a few…0!"
"BOOM!"
"Alright…two more girls to try," Sanji coughed out through the smoke.
He attacked the kitchen door again, waiting as he heard Tsu approach, eyes closed in anticipation.
"Creeek."
"Merry Christmas! MWAH!"
"S-S-Sanji!"
The cook opened his eyes, and felt his soul leave his body when he saw Hanataro standing there.
"Umm…I'm flattered, I really am…but I don't know if I feel the same way. I mean, I could…but I just haven't gotten to spend enough time with you to be sure..."
Sanji RAN before Hanataro could finish.
"Was it something I said?"
After a fair share of hyperventilating and toothpaste, Sanji was ready for his 'coup de' grace'.
He'd put the mistletoe right on the door to Halibel's room.
Sanji knocked, but it was utterly silent on the other end. He was just about to try again, when he heard someone coming.
Not wanting a repeat of last time, he hid behind the corner of the hallway.
It was Kisame.
At that point, Sanji came to a horrible realization. He forgot to bring the mistletoe with him.
"Hey Halibel, you still up for some Shogi?"
"Sure, give me a second."
Sanji fumed…any minute now, the most beautiful woman on the crew would come out…and be with a dumb swordsman under the mistletoe.
HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT THIS!
"Diab…GURK!"
Somehow, Jinbe had snuck up and restrained Sanji. Mirajane was with him, playfully 'shushing' at her fellow cook. The shipper in her was just too eager to see where this went.
"Alright," Halibel opened the door, looking up at Kisame before her eyes fell on the mistletoe.
Kisame also seemed to just notice it.
There was a full minute of silence.
"Huh…what's this weed doing here?" Kisame picked it up.
"No idea," Halibel shrugged before beckoning him in.
"You know, I think these are poisonous. Can I use your trash can?" Kisame closed the door behind him.
The three spectators stood there.
"Jinbe…a thought occurs to me," Mirajane broke the silence. "Do Ninjas have Christmas?"
The Fishman opened his mouth to reply…only to reconsider and close it. "There is that…but Sanji…you do realize there was another problem…Halibel wears a mask….that is STUCK to her face outside of serious battle."
Slowly, the cook came to the realization that his efforts concerning Halibel were doomed from the start.
"AHHH)&*(## $^&(*$#* #%$)&$*#(^)&#!"
(Inside Halibel's room)
"Huh…so that's what true disappointment sounds like!" Kisame laughed as he set up the Shōgi board.
"Think they'll figure out we were onto them?" Halibel asked.
"Eh." Kisame shrugged and held the mistletoe over his head to look at it. "Can't believe people prop up a weed this time of year."
"Well…who are we to break tradition?" Halibel had an unusually sly tone.
"What do you…"
"CHU! Merry Christmas. And I believe I move first."
"…wait a minute…HOW'D SHE EVEN DO THAT THROUGH HER MASK?!" the stunned Ninja thought to himself, hand still on his cheek.
And that was the first Shōgi game Halibel ever won.
OoOoOoO
A.N. Alright, sorry if this one was a little shorter, and took a bit longer to get out. Things are a bit hectic. Scouting out a new home and looking at a possible promotion at work.
ANYWAY…yeah…I did that. Someone 'AMONG US' is SUS! LOL! Let me know what you think!
But seriously, I am enjoying the opportunity to dive deeper with Nami (yeah…this chapter was a lot more centered around her than I originally intended…but I think it's working out)…along with Jinbe's lingering guilt…which will be touched upon more later. And of course, I've always got to have a bit of regular crew interactions while I still have the chance.
As for that Omake…I NEEDED FLUFF after that chapter! LOL!
Still…I've got one more Interlude (Tiamat's Army)…and then, Khemenu. Brace yourselves.
Hopefully, I can get that out before the year is out!
Til Next Time…Have Fun! Stay Safe!
