In the kingdom, the castle's construction was nearly complete and the founding festival was only days away.
One day, Princess Ronnie-Anne sat on the throne of her new throne room and summoned her Knight Lincoln. Lincoln entered and kneeled before her.
Ronnie-Anne: (giggled) You don't have to be so modest with me, Lame-o.
Lincoln: I need to be a proper knight here. Now, what did you call me here for?
Ronnie-Anne: Well, with all this talk about hostile monsters and the enemy human kingdom Ivcia, I was looking for ways to handle it. Then I came across a legend. They say there's a magic scepter hidden in a crypt in the wild forest far east of here. It was used by humans long ago to control monsters. I was hoping you and some of your monster sisters could come with me to retrieve the scepter.
Lincoln: Hmm. I think we could get that scepter but do you really need it? You're not planning on using it yourself?
Ronnie-Anne: Of course not! That would go against the very reason we're building this kingdom. But I know our enemies will want to use it against us so best to keep it out of their hands. Plus, I heard another rumor that there is a way it can show us how to befriend any monster.
Lincoln: Where did you hear this stuff from anyway?
Ronnie-Anne: It was actually from that goblin we befriended recently.
Lincoln: Ah! If he knows then the enemy monsters would know too.
Ronnie-Anne: And Ivcia may not be far behind.
Lincoln: Alright, I'll see who is willing to journey with us.
The next day, Ronnie-Anne was packed for the adventure. Lincoln was able to get Harpy Luna, Vampire Lucy, and Slime Lisa to join them.
Soon they left for the path through the darkest and thickest part of the forest. Lincoln could not help but noticed the look of Ronnie-Anne's face. She seemed troubled with something.
Lincoln: Umm...Princess? Is something wrong?
Ronnie-Anne: Is it that obvious? I'm...just worried if our kingdom will work out. Not just because of the factions against us but...the part about the scepter befriending monsters…
Lincoln: You are going to use it if you can, are you?
Ronnie-Anne: It's just...We see some monsters can befriend each other but not all monsters. More importantly we haven't seen them befriend humans. I don't know how you did it and I wish I did.
Lincoln: I sometimes question how I did too. But anyway, we haven't seen anyone else try to…
Then they heard a girl screaming in the forest and ran towards it. They then see someone falling onto a pile of leaves. Then it pops out with a fist raised.
?: Whoo! What a rush!
The girl got out and they took a look at her. She wore a loose light-blue top and red headband. She had horns on her head, fur all over her legs and hooves for feet.
Ronnie-Anne: Umm...Are you okay?
Ronnie-Anne felt she looked familiar.
Sid: Oh hey there! I was just trying out vine swinging cause I love trying out new things!
Ronnie-Anne then laughed.
Ronnie-Anne: That's awesome! I'm princess Ronnie-Anne of the Loud kingdom.
Sid: Whoa! An actual princess?! Well, I'm Sid the Faun. Nice to meet you. What brings you here to these woods?
Ronnie-Anne: We came here looking for the Monster scepter.
Sid: Hmmm...I heard rumors but never looked into it myself. I mean a Scepter that controls monsters seems like something not to get involved with. But why do you want it?
Ronnie-Anne: Mainly to keep it from falling in the wrong hands.
Lincoln: Do you know where to find it?
Sid: Not precisely but I may know the right path. Follow me!
The group then joined Sid through the forest. Sid talked with Ronnie-Anne on the way.
Sid: So your kingdom is open to humans and monsters?
Roonie-Anne: So long as they are peaceful and can coexist with each other.
Sid: Wow! Well you will have no issues with me. Us fauns are friends to everyone. Unlike our cousins the Satyr. Don't get me started on them.
Ronnie-Anne: That's one thing we need to find out. How to make friends with several types of monsters.
Sid: As far as I know, some can be more difficult than others. Some will want you to earn their trust or ask for something in return. Honestly, it's no different from you humans.
Lincoln: You have a point.
Sid then had the group stop.
Sid: I just remembered, there's a witch who lives around here.
Lucy: That would explain the dark energies I've been sensing.
Luna: Wait, do witches count as monsters?
Lisa: Excellent question.
Lincoln: More importantly, can we go unnoticed?
Lucy: We might but the spirits are telling me she's planning to sacrifice some humans.
Lincoln: Oh crud! Move!
The group went quickly and then came up to what looked like an old hut. Outside they see a young witch wearing all black drawing a spell circle on the ground.
Haiku: Oh dark spirits hear my words. Tonight I offer you these souls in exchange for your power.
Lincoln saw a group of adventurers that looked familiar. But he also didn't see an easy way to save them without the witch noticing.
Lincoln: This won't be easy. Of course, it never is.
Ronnie-Anne: I'm not sure if we can talk that witch into stopping.
Lincoln: Wait, where is Lucy?
Then as Haiku finished her circle, Lucy appeared behind her. Haku was surprised and held her hands out to ready a spell.
Haiku: Whoa! A child of the night? What brings you here?
Lucy: I would prefer you not to sacrifice these people.
Haiku: I must gain favor from the dark ones.
Lucy: Believe me. The ones who ask for human sacrifices are not the beings you want to be friends with. They will betray you eventually.
Haiku: And why should I trust you?
Lucy: I would know dark stuff. Also, I revealed myself to you when I could have just sucked you dry by now.
Haiku: A fair point. Fine. The foolish ones can go.
Then the rest of the group came out.
Haiku: You travel with other mortals?
Lucy: These ones are nice so long as you don't do anything bad in their kingdom.
Haiku: But do they let you feed?
Lincoln: We have special potions to substitute blood.
Haiku: But what if she wants to bite someone and turn them into a vampire?
Lincoln: Only if it's with the person's consent.
Lucy: You'd be surprised how many want to be vampires.
Haiku: I'm finding this hard to believe that your kingdom would be open to this.
Ronnie-Anne: We're open to any species that are peaceful. We even let in undead.
Lucy: They might even let you in.
Haiku: They would allow a witch like me to work my dark magic on their lands?
Lucy: Depends on how you use it...and prefer no one dying.
Haiku: Hmmm...I'll think about it. But take the humans away before I change my mind.
The others unbounded the captives.
Lincoln: You guys alright?
Zach: No! We're far from alright!
Liam: We was on ayy mission ta faand ayy lost noble youngun when this here witch done took us off guard.
Stella: Didn't help that Rusty was not on guard!
Rusty: Get off me! How would I be ready for a witch?
Lincoln: Are you guys just starting as adventurers?
Stella: Is it that obvious? I mean the guild we work at is…
Zach: It stinks! I feel the guild master has it in for us for screwing up so much.
Lincoln: Maybe we can help with your mission. Then maybe you could work in our kingdom. Me and Sir Clyde can help you.
Stella: What kingdom?
Lincoln: The Loud kingdom. We're new of course.
Stella: Oh...We...may have heard of your land.
Liam: Y'all would really do that faw us?
Rusty: Well, if they could tame monsters then I guess they can help us.
Lincoln: We didn't tame them. We just made friends with them.
Lucy: Excuse me for asking redhead but do you happen to have a younger brother?
Rusty: Yeah… Why?
Lucy: I don't know why I asked. For some reason I just wanted to know.
Later, the group now with the adventures continued their journey in the forest. Then they hear commotion ahead. They then see a group of orcs trying to reach down into a hole in the ground. But then they see the group and get out their weapons.
Stella: Oh right! There were these guys.
Ronnie-Anne: Would have been nice to know that sooner.
Sid: Yeah they are not a friendly group.
Lincoln then noticed an insignia on the orc's armor.
Lincoln: What is that insignia?
Sid: It's new but it's worn by a group of monsters who just hate humans. Like straight up hate with a passion!
Lincoln: I see. This must be the group that goblin told us about. Everyone to arms!
The orcs then attacked them and they defended themselves. During the fight, Lisa then got near the hole and heard someone in it crying.
Lisa: Lincoln, I hear a fellow juvenile lamenting in that opening.
Lincoln: Must be the noble kid Stella's group came searching for. Get down there and check on her.
Lisa: Affirmative!
Lisa then ozzed her way into the hole and then dropped to the bottom. This surprised the human child in there. Lisa reformed and saw it was a girl around her age in a torn noble dress and holding a giraffe plush tightly shaking in fear.
Lisa: Greeting! Don't worry, I am not a hostile monster. I am Lisa and my group is here to assist.
Darcy: Y...You are?
Lisa: I know that you would be distrusting of me not being of your species but...
Darcy: Actually, you seem...familiar but I don't know why.
Lisa: Oh...Well I….somehow feel the same way. (Clear throat) But then again a lot of people I know have been having the same case of Deja Vu lately. My adopted siblings agree the best course of action is to "just roll with it."
Darcy: Umm...OK.
Darcy then moved up closer to her with a curious look.
Darcy: I'm...Darcy of house Helmandollar. Can...Can I touch you?
Lisa: Huh? Um...fine. Go ahead.
Darcy then went up and felt Lisa's slimy body and then her hand went into the smile. She giggled.
Darcy: Hehe! You're so gooey!
Lisa: Yes I am. Just don't keep your hand in me for too long or else it will get digested.
Darcy then pulled her hand out quickly.
Darcy: Eep!
Lisa: Not that I intend to. It would just naturally happen. I can't control it.
Soon the fighting stopped on the surface with the orcs withdrawing. The group was able to get Darcy and Lisa out of the hole.
Stella: Good to see your alright, Lady Helmandollar.
Lisa: I can assure you she is very copacetic.
Darcy: Ha ha ha! You say funny words!
Lincoln: So how did you end up here anyway?
Darcy: Well...Me and Rafo were bored being in our mansion all the time. I had no friends and wanted to find some. So we snuck out of there but then got lost in this forest.
Lisa: I'm guessing your parental units wouldn't let you leave your dwelling for any reason?
Darcy: It was near the forest where monsters live. They were always scared of monsters. They always told me monsters are bad and would harm me if I ever left the mansion. I know those orcs were but...you seem nice.
Lisa: Of course. Some monsters like myself are friendly.
Darcy: Yeah! You're great to be with, Lisa! Can we be friends?
Lisa: Umm...I wouldn't see the point of it but at the same time I do want to form a friendship.
Darcy: Oh! I remember seeing other monsters here. But they were getting picked on by humans.
Ronnie-Anne: What? We need to see this!
The group soon got to a clearing in the forest where they saw a camp of humans. They recognized the flags of the Ivcia army. But then they were surprised to see the enemy troops looked too dazed and disoriented to react to them.
Lincoln: What happened to them?
They then see strange plants on the ground. Then they see some were pulled out but looked like they had humanoid forms.
Luna: What are those?
?: Allow me.
Sid: Whoa! Is that you, Dryad?
Then someone appeared in front of them in a bright green light. It seemed like a blonde woman covered in leaves.
?: I told you I have a name, Faun. It's Sam.
Luna started to blush seeing her.
Sam: What happened here is that these soldiers tried to unroot plants thinking they were vegetables but they were actually mandrakes. The mandrake's screams of course pacified them but not for long.
Sam then noticed Luna looking at her funny.
Sam: Something wrong, Harpy?
Luna: What? Oh! Umm...Why are they here anyway?
Sam: From what I can gather, they came for a treasure buried in a crypt under the forest.
Ronnie-Anne: They must be here for the scepter. We need to get down there.
Sam: No offence but how do I know you can be trusted? I cannot have any more harm to this forest.
Sid: I can vouch for them. They've been going through this forest all day and they haven't done anything harmful to it.
Ronnie-Anne: We also show respect to the forest near our kingdom. We have friendly monsters who call it home and we never take too many resources then we need.
Sam: Well, do you have a dryad in your forest?
Ronnie-Anne: No. Should we?
Sam: I may need to look into that. But if you are as you say then you should go to the crypt and keep the Ivcia forces from getting the treasure.
She then pointed to where the entrance to the crypt was.
Luna: Thanks, girl!
Sam: Don't thank me yet. The crypt has magical defences within. Only those with pure intentions for what is buried there can go through unharmed.
They rush down to the crypt and after a while they find several dead Ivcia soldiers and what looked like several broken statues. As they continued forward and then caught up to living soldiers fighting moving statues.
Lisa: Appears to be the defences the dryad mentioned.
Lucy: They clearly do not like the Ivcia forces.
The Ivcia forces were able to barely fend off the defences. They then noticed Lincoln's group.
Soldier 1: What are you doing here?
Soldier 2: Hey! They have adventurers from our kingdom's guild!
Lincoln: Wait, what?!
He turns to Stella's group. She and the others looked awkward.
Stella: We were...meaning to tell you.
Then out came what looked like an armored prince.
?: What is this?
Rusty: Whoa! It's Prince Chandler!
Chandler: Why do I see people of our kingdom with the accursed monster lovers?
Stella: We can explain!
Soldier 1: What? That you're traitors?
Soldier 2: You were known to be the lamest adventurers in the guild and now your siding with the enemy?!
Chandler: Enough! It won't matter once we have the specter and take the monster loving kingdom apart.
Ronnie-Anne: What is your problem with monsters?
Chandler: How is that even a question?! Monsters are evil destructive beings!
Luna: Your being more destructive than we are!
Then they hear another soldier from far in the chamber.
Soldier 3: My lord! We found the chamber!
Chandler: Perfect! Keep these freaks from getting by.
Chandler ran ahead to the chamber. Lincoln's group tried to go after him but was cut off by the Ivcia soldiers. One came close to cutting Ronnie-Anne's throat but Sid was able to pull her out of the way.
After a few minutes of fighting, they get into the chamber to see Chandler holding the scepter.
Chandler: Too late, freaks! Now I hold the tool to bring all monsters to their knees. I'll start with setting your so-called allies against you!
Chandler waved the scepter at them but nothing happened. He did not know why it wasn't working and started shaking it.
Chandler: What is the matter with this thing?!
Haiku: Allow me.
Chandler screamed and dropped the scepter as Haiku was right next to him. She caught the scepter and looked at it.
Haiku: It seems this scepter's magic has been depleted for possibly ages. It's nothing more than a fancy stick.
Chandler: You can't be serious!
Ronnie-Anne was also shocked with this. It could be they came all this way for nothing.
Chandler: Wait! Why should I listen to a witch? You could have done something to it!
Haiku: Is that a threat?
Chandler: Where are my battle mages?
Then Sam appeared.
Sam: They were the first to be incapacitated by the mandrakes.
Chandler: Dang it! Troops! retreat for now! This isn't over!
Chandler and his forces then ran off out of the crypt.
Lincoln: Well, that was interesting.
He then looked at Ronnie-Anne seeing she was looking at the scepter looking disappointed.
Lincoln: Umm...Are you OK?
Ronnie-Anne: You know, at first I was hoping to use this to help befriend all monsters cause I thought it would be next to impossible. I mean I still don't know how you did it.
Lincoln: As I said before, neither do I.
Ronnie-Anne then looked up and smiled at him.
Ronnie-Anne: But now that I think about it, I never needed it at all.
Lincoln: Really?
Ronnie-Anne: Yeah! Because this journey has proved it's possible. We showed humans can befriend monsters, monsters with humans, monsters with different monsters and humans with other humans indifferent to monsters. Of course it doesn't work in all cases but most of them is good enough for me
Sid: Heck yeah!
Ronnie-Anne: So now I have nothing to worry about ruling our kingdom!
Everyone cheers.
Ronnie-Anne: So, any chance we will get you new faces there?
Sid: I am so in! You're awesome to be with!
Stella's group huddled for a moment and then broke.
Stella: We will if you let us.
Liam: Preytty sure we will nahwt be welcome in Ivcia anymawe aftuurr this.
Zack: Any chance you got an adventurer's guild?
Lincoln: If we don't just Give us a bit.
Haiku: I think I will accept your offer If they are not object with my magic rituals and studies.
Lucy: I think the high wizard might. But no sacrifices!
Sam: I will come as well. You have been proven to be of your word. Also you said there are no dryads in your forest. There are others already covering this one and would like my own to tend to.
Luna: YES! I mean...that's good to hear.
Then Lisa hears Darcy sodding to herself.
Lisa: Darcy? Is something upsetting you?
Darcy: I want to go too but mom and dad won't allow me.
Lisa: I see. Are you also of Ivcia?
Darcy: No. We're just close to them. But I'll try to tell them you monsters are nice. Especially you Lisa.
Lisa smiled and hugged her.
Lisa: I promise we will meet again.
Darcy: I hope so.
Meanwhile in a random part of the forest, Prince Chandler was pacing around by himself frustrated at what happened. Then he sees a woman in a cloak come from the shadow.
Chandler: There you are! The scepter you told us about was powerless.
?: It was a possibility.
Chandler: Why didn't you tell me before wasting time and men on this trip?
?: Calm yourself. You'll be happy to know we found a way to go ahead of the plan without the need to control monsters directly.
Chandler: Oh?
?: That group of monsters also aiming for the Loud kingdom's destruction will do what we need them to do. They just need some motivation.
Chandler: And you sure this will work?
?: I'm positive. Soon, all monsters and humans that work with them will fall.
To be continued...