umbuh 4 was walking in a sewer with Numbuh 3, it has been a week since they woke up in the fantasy world "So… What are we looking for exactly?" Numbuh 4 asked while resting his ax on his shoulder and covering his nose with his other hand
Numbuh 3 was right next to him, she wore two cotton pieces on her nostrils as she grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket and started reading it "Octodragon in the sewers, people getting pulled near manholes into the sewer, high-risk high reward" Numbuh 3 said
"That I know, What I meant was what even is an Octodragon?" Numbuh 4 asked
"The guy in the guild just said it's really dangerous and the head costs a fortune, we can sell it and get the reward from the city" Numbuh 3 said as they reached an open section of the sewer, she was about to put her foot inside the area when Numbuh 4 grabbed her and pulled her away "Numbuh 4?" she looked at him a bit embarrassed
"Shhh.." Numbuh 4 motioned her to make silence as he grabbed a rusted iron bar on the floor and threw it in a large pool of dirty water in the center of the open area
Suddenly a tremor took hold of the area as a couple of tentacles grabbed the iron bar and bent it then dived back into the pool
Numbuh 3 sighed in relief "How did you know?" Numbuh 3 smiled at Numbuh 4
Numbuh 4 then pointed at the ceiling
Numbuh 3 looked up only to see a bunch of skeletons glued to the ceiling by the Octodragon's mucous "I'm gonna puke…" Numbuh 3 said
"Don't you dare, it can probably smell it!" Numbuh 4 said a bit nervous "So? What do you think? Can you try frying it with a lightning bolt?"
"My lighting bolts can't reach that far down, I have a better idea" Numbuh 3 approached Numbuh 4 and started drawing in the blade of his ax with a glowy purple stone, suddenly Numbuh 4's ax started letting out electricity sparks "These special ones last longer, good luck" she handed his ax back to him
"Let me guess, you don't wanna anger it so you want me to go first?" Numbuh 4 asked her as he sighed
Numbuh 3 nodded while smiling at him
Numbuh 4 shook his head and jumped in the large area followed by Numbuh 3, after buffing him she stood a few meters away from him, Numbuh 4 then inserted his ax inside the pool as it started doing a fizzling song along with electricity arcs on its surface followed by a large tremor as the beast could be heard from inside the water in pain "I hate the big ones…" Numbuh 4 said and then left the vicinity of the pool as the Octodragon emerged from the large pool of dirty water and started floating around the open space, it was golden with blue rings around its body, it had no wings, instead, it had an octopus body that magically floated as it wriggled its tentacles midair, its head had a long neck that led to a snake-like head, it looked at Numbuh 4 with curiosity before hissing at him showing its fangs dripping with poison "Numbuh 3…" Numbuh 4 said looking at it a bit scared
"On it" Numbuh 3 rushed to his side but the Dragon was faster and flew at Numbuh 4 who managed to deflect it with his ax, throwing it against a wall "Don't touch it!" Numbuh 3 said as she approached Numbuh 4
"Relax, it only touched my ax" He said, Numbuh 3 then drew a poison immunity sign on his back
"Don't overdo it, the spell can only take so much venom" Numbuh 3 said as she launched a fireball at the creature who dodged it and rushed at her
Numbuh 4 took the chance to jump on top of the beast and grabbed its head with his bare hands as he changed its course away from Numbuh 4, he then grabbed his ax that was strapped to his back and cut the dragon's head who spilled its venom right on Numbuh 4's face and then proceeded to fall with it in the pool of sewage
"Numbuh 4!" Numbuh 3 looked at her reflection in the dirty water who was slowly turning purple, Numbuh 3 then grabbed a few blank pages and drew a few signs on them hastily, she then drew a sign on the air with her fingers as the pool of water started being slowly drained in a matter of seconds Numbuh 3 managed to find Numbuh 4 in the bottom of it unconscious while holding the dragon's head "Oh god…" Numbuh 3 jumped in the now empty pool and rushed to Numbuh 4's aid
Numbuh 4 woke several hours later the next morning on his bed inside the inn room he rented with Numbuh 3, his vision was a little blurred but he recognized that much "W-Where am I?"
"God you really are not human…" Numbuh 3 said "The Doctor I paid said you would be out for weeks" She giggled
"I'm built different…" Numbuh 4 chuckled "How long was I out?"
"One day, my healing magic and the antidotes helped but the doctor said you would be exhausted after suffering such a toll on your body" Numbuh 3 said
"What about the head? and the commission?" Numbuh 4 asked as he sat up on the bed
"I managed to get the dragon's heart and brought it to the guild, I also sold the head for a good price, we are officially rich" Numbuh 3 laughed
"Great, any news about the others?" Numbuh 4 asked
"No, but I talked with a few more guards and merchants while you were sleeping, they haven't seen them on the road" Numbuh 3 said
"Great, what do you think they are doing at a time like this?" Numbuh 4 said
"They are probably missing us very much and desperately looking for us just like we are for them, we are super best friends after all" Numbuh 3 giggled
"They are probably desperate without me that's what you mean, Numbuh 2 would run like a little girl if he saw that Octodragon" Numbuh 4 said laughing
While that, Numbuhs 1, 2 and 5 were walking in the transition from a desert to a swamp are "So, Numbuh 2, How long until we reach that city those guys at the last settlement mentioned?" Numbuh 1 asked, he wore a black breastplate and a pair of greaves that went up to his thighs and gauntlets the same color as his breastplate, he also had a white and red cape, he had two straight swords with blue runes glowing on each of them, one sheathed on each side of his hips
"Ehhh… about a day or two… maybe three, they said walking the swamp was suicide so… Yeah probably more monsters than the desert, Not as hot as the desert though if that's anything to celebrate" Numbuh 2 chuckled "Are you sure we need to go to this city Numbuh 5?" Numbuh 2 asked, he was wearing a simple white shirt with leather pants and a light looking white and blue coat that looked like a cape on his shoulders, he had two steampunk revolvers holstered around his hip, he had his usual googles although their lenses weren't yellow anymore
"The only way to find the others is going to a large place, we won't find them in settlements" Numbuh 5 said, she walked with a staff in hand, it had a bird skull on the top, she was wearing a purple long dress with a hoodie, she also had a bag on her hip with a few books
"Yeah… but why did we have to fall on a desert…" Numbuh 2 sighed as they entered the swamp by a dirt road surrounded by mud pits with swamp trees on them
"Perhaps we are just that good" Numbuh 1 laughed and then changed to a serious facial expression "The desert was harsh, the swamp is bound to be even harsher if anything, stay alert" Numbuh 1 said
"Yeah… The mosquitoes seem to agree with you…" Numbuh 2 said as he slapped his own neck
They walked for a few hours. It was past lunchtime when they stopped to eat on the side of the road "Isn't kinda… dangerous, to eat in a place like this?" Numbuh 5 asked while Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 ate sandwiches and juice
"It would be even more dangerous if something attacked us while we are hungry" Numbuh 2 laughed as he grabbed another sandwich from a bag he was carrying "You gonna eat that?" Numbuh 2 pointed to a piece of bread with cheese Numbuh 5 had on her hand
Numbuh 5 proceeded to eat some of it "Yes, Yes I do" she snickered at him as they both laughed
Numbuh 1 ate a sandwich still paying close attention to their surroundings when he turned his attention to Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 5 and spat his meal looking horrified "Hoagie? Abby?"
"Yeah?" They looked at him smiling
"Grasshopper" Numbuh 1 pointed at a Giant Grasshopper that was right behind them eyeing their food, it did a loud chirping song with its legs upon realizing it was discovered and jumped high in the sky, Numbuh 1 stuffed his sandwich in his mouth and grabbed his swords as it started falling aiming for them
"We deal with it, you have bigger troubles to deal with" Numbuh 5 pointed behind Numbuh 1 to a giant alligator coming at their direction from a distance, she then kicked Numbuh 1 out of the grasshopper landing zone and then grabbed Numbuh 2's hand as they backed off from it as well
Numbuh 1 charged the alligator with both swords in each hand as the grasshopper landed behind him
Numbuh 2 took out his revolvers and presented them to Numbuh 5 "Would you kindly?" he smiled at her while she threw rocks at the grasshopper with magic levitation to no avail
The grasshopper noticed the two operatives attacking him and turned its attention to them ignoring Numbuh 1, it did a loud screeching sound as it charged them
Numbuh 5 placed her hands on Numbuh 2's revolvers and focused red colored magic energy inside them "Don't overdo it or it will break them like last time, we had to wait for you to fix them for hours!"
"Don't worry" Numbuh 2 turned to the grasshopper who was approaching them and then shot his two revolvers releasing two flame shots that hit the grasshopper directly, it stopped its charge and started throwing itself against trees and at the mud pits in panic
Numbuh 5 then proceeded to chant a few indecipherable words pointing her staff at the giant insect as it managed to extinguish the fire with the swamp's mud, suddenly thousand of skeleton hands surged from the mud as they started grabbing the grasshopper or jumping on top of it sinking it inside the mud until it completely disappeared, Numbuh 5 then flicked her fingers as a loud explosion could be heard underground the swamp
"This necromancy thing you do gives me the creeps" Numbuh 2 said as he felt a shiver down his spine and looked at Numbuh 5 a bit scared while the girl grinned at him, she then turned her attention to Numbuh 1 who was fighting the Alligator
Numbuh 1 was holding the Alligator's mouth with one sword on his lower jaw and another on his upper jaw, he could see the insides of the alligator a bit grossed out but holding it firmly "Numbuh 5? Anytime…" He said while looking behind him at his friends
Numbuh 5 smiled as she approached Numbuh 1 calmly much to his annoyance and conjured a strong lightning bolt inside the alligator's mouth frying it from the inside as it fell to the floor passed out "Not dead… the things in this swamp are stronger than in the desert" Numbuh 5 said
"Alligator meat… interesting…" Numbuh 2 said while scratching his chin in curiosity
Numbuh 5 started levitating it "Oh no you don't, we are selling it to buy real food, Numbuh 5 will not eat monster meat" she then conjured a few spirit ropes and tied its mouth, after that they kept walking for a few hours until arriving at a small outpost os swamp folk, they sold the alive Alligator to them and left with a moderate quantity of gold and food on their pockets and bags, they resumed their travel until the sun started setting, Numbuh 5 conjured a few skeletons and spread them around a clearing in the swamp, the scenery had changed from a road with mud pits on each side to a forest with a slightly muddy ground with trees all around
While that, Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 made a fireplace and set up a couple of tents for them to sleep as they covered the floor with some soft cloth pieces they bought back in the desert settlement "Do we really need these things looking at us during the night?" Numbuh 2 asked looking at the grim-looking skeletons Numbuh 5 was conjuring
"It is that or we take turns sleeping, and you know that didn't end well for us last time" she said
Numbuh 2 groaned still a bit afraid of the skeletons as he sat on his improvised bed made from the soft cloth pieces they had placed on the ground and started checking his revolver ammunition, he started crafting some more using a few empty casings and gunpowder
Numbuh 1 laid on his bed and closed his eyes trying to recover some energy, he was followed by Numbuh 5 then by Numbuh 2 hours later after he finished setting up his ammunition
it was early in the morning when they woke up, Numbuh 2 was the first to wake up, he checked his surroundings only to find Numbuh 5 skeletons standing right next to them with a few dead small predators like snakes and wolfs around them "You aren't so bad after all" Numbuh 2 smiled at one of the skeletons and patted it on the shoulder, the skeleton turned to Numbuh 2 and swung a piece of bone at his direction "Hey!" Numbuh 2 looked around scared as the other skeletons started rushing at him
"You are hopeless…" Numbuh 5 said as she flicked her fingers making the Skeletons stop and then dismantle back to piles of bones "They aren't very smart, they only attack when provoked you see?" Numbuh 5 said snickering at Numbuh 2 who had fallen on the ground scared
Numbuh 1 yawned "Great job with the skeletons Numbuh 5, finally a good night of sleep" Numbuh 1 said as he stretched himself
"We are lucky the big predators don't hunt in the night, those skeletons wouldn't be able to handle that alligator from yesterday" Numbuh 5 said while stretching herself, she then stored the pieces of cloth she was sleeping on in her bag "Shall we go?" She asked then grabbed a piece of bread from her bag and started eating it
The others did the same and ate their breakfast while walking "How are we doing Numbuh 2?" Nigel asked while eating a piece of bread
"Let me see…" Numbuh 2 finished his bread quickly and grabbed the map, after looking at it for a few minutes he placed his finger on the map "We should be out of the swamp in the afternoon tomorrow if we keep this pace, we will start seeing a few villages as we approach the forest area though so we will probably find proper beds to sleep today" Numbuh 2 said smiling
A few hours later
"What were you saying?" Numbuh 5 asked Numbuh 2 while they were tied inside a cauldron surrounded by dancing tribal folk
"Hey… you were the one who wanted to talk to them, don't blame me" Numbuh 2 said "Can you free us?" He asked
"If I can get my hands freed… yes" Numbuh 5 said while she rubbed her two tied hands together trying to set herself free
"There is a small knife inside my pocket" Numbuh 2 whispered
"Why do you even have it? You are an engineer!" She whispered while reaching for his pants
"I was using it to pry open the cylinders of the revolvers when they get stuck…" Numbuh 2 said "Hey…" Numbuh 2 laughed "That tickles, if you wanted to get our relationship like that we could have just-"
"Shut up before I fry you with the tribesmen" Numbuh 5 said as she managed to get a hold of his knife and released herself, she then jumped out of the cauldron and used the fire under it to burn the cannibals alive, she then levitated Numbuhs 1 and 2 from the cauldron "Go get your weapons, I will distract them" Numbuh 5 said as she scared the tribesmen with a burst of wind throwing them away from her
Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 rushed inside a hut where a shaman was guarding their weapons, it saw them and started channeling a spell, Numbuh 2 jumped on top of it interrupting its casting while Numbuh 1 grabbed his swords and decapitated the shaman "I'm gonna need a psychiatrist after this…" Numbuh 2 said as he looked at the headless shaman holding his mouth trying not to puke, he then grabbed his revolvers and went outside only to see a battlefield between skeletons and tribesmen had been formed, Numbuh 5 was sitting on the staircase below the hut Numbuh 2 had just left, she was resting for a bit after casting so many spells
"So? you guys wanna keep on going?" Numbuh 5 asked while looking at her skeletons fighting on equal grounds with the tribesmen
Numbuh 1 had returned with their bags from a nearby hut "As soon as possible, I think we even got lucky" Numbuh 1 pointed to a couple of horses
Suddenly a huge explosion happened on the battlefield as a giant tribesman burning the skeletons with one hand while cutting them down with a giant sword came out of the ground, it looked at the operatives and started rushing at them
The operatives rushed to the horses and left the village only to be followed by the giant tribal creature, it started closing in on them, Numbuh 2 who was on the back of a horse being ridden by Numbuh 5 took an odd-looking bullet from his bag and tried to put it inside his revolver only for its cylinder to get stuck "Do you have that knife I lent you earlier?"
"Back pocket on the right" Numbuh 5 said while she focused on the road ahead
Numbuh 2 blushed "Ehh… could you get it for me or…"
"Numbuh 2!" Numbuh 5 yelled at him
The boy gulped and put his hand inside her pocket and grabbed the knife, he quickly pried the cylinder open and managed to put the bullet into the chamber, he then aimed at the tribal giant and hit it right across the face a loud explosion sound could be heard as it hit its face and threw it on the floor with the impact, Numbuh 2 could see it getting up as they managed to get far enough from it as it gave up on chasing them
Thanks to the horses the team managed to leave the swamps and reached the forest area that bordered the fields of magnolia, they only stopped at night after reaching a settlement, the same on Numbuh 4 and Numbuh 3 had sold the giant wolf, exhausted, they slept in an inn inside the settlement with the money they got for the giant alligator
Numbuh 2 woke up the next morning yawning "I missed sleeping on a bed…" Numbuh 2 then opened his eyes only to be met by a sleeping Numbuh 5 right next to him and let out a yelp in surprise
"No yelling in the morning Numbuh 2…" Numbuh 5 said as she yawned, she opened her eyes only to see Numbuh 2 right next to her blushing, she looked at him angrily and pushed him away from the bed "What are you doing in my bed?!"
"It isn't your bed, here" Numbuh 2 got up and grabbed a key from his pocket "You are in my bed" Numbuh 2 said
Numbuh 5 then tried searching her pockets to no avail, there was no key "But how…?" Numbuh 5 blushed
Numbuh 2 stomach started growling "Anyway…" Numbuh 2 sighed and unlocked the room "I'm hungry, we can talk about this later"
After getting their food the two operatives, still a bit embarrassed, met Numbuh 1 who was talking with the barkeep who was a kobold "Enjoyed yourselves?" Numbuh 1 grinned at them
"What happened?" Numbuh 5 blushed while looking at Numbuh 1
"You two collapsed from exhaustion when we reached the Inn, there were only two rooms available, the barkeep helped me carry you two to a room and I slept in another" Numbuh 1 said while drinking milk in the morning from a mug "You should try eating, you must be famished" Nigel said
"And why didn't you put Hoagie in your room?" Numbuh 5 asked him a bit angry as she sat right next to him and ordered breakfast
"He snores" Numbuh 1 said while grabbing a piece of bread and eating it
"I don't!" Numbuh 2 said a bit offended
"You do" They both said
"Plus, I know deep down you enjoyed waking up right next to him" Numbuh 1 whispered to Abby
Numbuh 5 looked at him a bit angry and blushing but couldn't come up with a reply
"Anyway, I think you guys will like to know Numbuh 4 and Numbuh 3 were here" Numbuh 1 said
"What?!" Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 5 looked at him surprised
"Tell them Gux" Numbuh 1 looked at the Kobold Barkeep
"Let me see… Short blonde boy, about your age, giant ax in hand, almost picked up a fight with a dwarf for calling him short, looked painfully obvious to be in love with the girl that traveled with him, she was kind of an airhead and… Looked like she was in love with the boy as well?" The Kobold looked at them as they nodded "They were here about a week ago" The Kobold said
"That's our two lovebirds" Numbuh 2 laughed "Where were they going?"
"As far as I know they are still in Magnolia, they are working as monster hunters there, don't know where they live though, it is a big city" the Kobold said
After eating breakfast the party went North for Magnolia on their horses reaching the entrance of the city a few minutes later at full speed, they approached the guards in the front of the city "Good morning, we have friends in town" Numbuh 1 said smiling at the guards
"One of them isn't in high places though" Numbuh 2 laughed
"Hmmm…" the guard took a close look at them "Bald and uses shades, Fat and painfully unfunny, Black and Pretty cool, are you Wallabee and Kuki's friends?"
"Unfunny?" Numbuh 2 looked at the guard pretty sad
"Yeah, that's us, where are those two?" Numbuh 1 smiled at the guard
"Oh, they are on a joint commission for the crown in collaboration with the adventurers guild, a colossal Kraken appeared on port recently and is hurting the economy pretty bad, every adventurer affiliated to the guild is fighting the giant beast in the port right now" The guard said "Let me just sign your names, it is just a matter of safety for the city" The guard said as he took out a scroll with hundreds of names on it.
After telling him their names another guard frowned at Numbuh 5 "Necromancy isn't allowed within the city walls, I would recommend you go for other abilities while in here young one unless you wanna meet the gallows" The guard said
"I will keep that in mind…" Numbuh 5 smiled at the guard a bit nervous as they entered the city, she then sighed "Now to find those two…" She said as they followed the signs on the street that pointed to the port.
