Karkat scowled, mumbling obscenities under his breath. How was he dragged into rescuing a runaway prince? At least he wasn't alone. The mage traveling with him, Sollux, wasn't completely incompetent.

"KK, we should stop at the next town," Sollux said, his ever-present lisp annoying Karkat.

"Whatever. As long as we can get to Eridan quickly, I don't give a fuck," Karkat replied. They had been walking for a couple of hours now, carrying the armor he had was a pain in the ass.

"You're on a first-name basis with that pompous fishdick?" Sollux asked, one eyebrow raised, "last I checked, he hated everyone."

Karkat scowled, "That's none of your fucking business, asslicker."

Sollux rolled his eyes behind his bi-colored spectacles, "The next town is a harbor town, we'll be able to get to the kingdom from there."

"Like hell anyone would take us, with that stupid sea monster in the way."

"We'll convince them," Sollux replied, "we might have to use force."

Karkat smiled, finally, something to look forward to.

Sollux sighed, they had finally got to the harbor, and the only people willing to take them across the strait were pirates.

"Soooooooo, we have a deal?" The leader, Vriska, smirked, "you don't tell the king about us if we take you across the strait?"

Karkat nodded, "Yeah, yeah, just take us already."

"They're idiots, aren't they?" Sollux heard someone say, he turned around to find another pirate, shorter than he was, and he was pretty short. He nodded in agreement. "We'll end fighting, I bet," she smiled a predator-like smile.

Sollux looked at the pair, now beginning to board the ship, "Yeah, we definitely are."

How did this happen, Sollux wondered. Somehow, they ended up in the clutches of the sea monster that was rumored to own the strait. What's more, the sea monster was totally captivated by the ship.

It was trying to convince the ship to mate with it.

It was failing, horribly.

"Let's kill it," Karkat said, unsheathing his sword.

"I was thinking the same thing," the pirate captain said, also pulling out a sword.

"No!" Both Sollux and Terezi said, going to Karkat and the captain, respectively.

"KK, that thing is a hundred times bigger than we are and can breathe fire. If we fight we will die," Sollux said, trying to convince Karkat not to fight.

"Why the fuck would it breathe fire? It's a sea monster, not a fucking dragon. What idiotic assknocker thought up that logic?" Karkat replied, scowling.

Sollux favepalmed, "KK, you're missing the point."

Karkat rolled his eyes, "Whatever, just get out of the way!"

Sollux scowled, this guy was so infuriating! Not as much as Eridan, though. Wait. . . "If you fight it, you'll die, and if you die, you won't see Eridan again."

Karkat frowned, lowering his sword, "Well, what do you suppose we do you nook lover?"

"It likes the ship, doesn't it? We tell it that it can have the ship if it lets us go."

Karkat blinked in surprise, it wasn't a bad idea. Now, how would they convince the Pirates?

"Why can't I just kill something?!" Vriska yelled.

"It's more likely for us to die, than for it to die, that's why," Terezi replied, annoyed by her friend's bloodlust.

"Then why don't we just sacrifice those two," Vriska said, pointing to the travelers they agreed to ferry.

"Maybe that knight guy, but the other one is smart. You could probably convince him to join us, if you play your cards right."

Vriska smirked, "So let's sacrifice him and kill that thing!"

Terezi sighed, "Did you get any of what I just said? Maybe he has a better idea."

Almost on cue, Sollux yelled, "Hey! We got an idea!"

Terezi looked at Vriska and smiled, "Told you he was smart."

They had safely landed on the shore, when other problems began.

"My ship!" Vriska yelled, "you'll pay for that!" She got out her sword as she began trying to attack the pair of travelers.

"Run," Sollux whispered to Karkat.

"Why? I can take this bitch," Karkat said, pulling out his sword.

"Yeah, but you can't beat all the people who will be pissed if you do," Sollux replied.

"Shit," Karkat muttered, backing away and running, dragging Sollux behind him, as the Pirates swarmed behind them. A few minutes later, Karkat stopped, "We lost them."

"KK. . . I'm. . . dying," Sollux panted, "let me. . . rest."

Karkat rolled his eyes, "You shouldn't spend all your fucking time reading books. This wouldn't happen if your lazy ass exercised."

"Sorry. . . I can't. . . be all muscle. . . like the rest. . . of you," Sollux said, slowly catching his breath.

"Whatever, just don't breathe to loud, you'll give us away."

"I'm a Mage. . . I don't need muscles. . . the size of beer barrels," Sollux muttered.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Karkat asked, scowling.

Sollux flipped him off, causing Karkat to roll his eyes. They heard a faint rustling, eyes widening in surprise, before hiding behind a tree, "Your dumb panting gave us away, genius," Karkat muttered.

"Shut up, KK," Sollux whispered, between pants, "you're not exactly quiet."

"Hello!" A bubbly voice said out of nowhere, causing both boys to scream, "I didn't mean to scare you," she said giggling.

"Who are you?" Sollux asked, while Karkat pulled out his sword, again.

"I'm Feferi, a priestess at the shrine of life nearby. I was going to the Temple, you wanna come?"

Karkat scowled, "No-" he was cut off by Sollux, "Sure, wouldn't want someone as pretty as you to get hurt."

Feferi giggled, "Quite the gentleman, aren't you?"

Sollux smirked, "Sure am. Lead the way, m'lady." Sollux held out his arm, inviting Feferi take it, and she did.

Karkat rolled his eyes, following the two.

Karkat gaped at the building in front of him. As large as it was, he wondered how it managed to stay completely in shadow.

"Here we are," Feferi said, her cheerful demeanor not faltering, even in the face of the ominous building, "you'll help me complete the rite, right?"

"Um, what?" Sollux said, staring in awe.

"The cleansing rite? The reason we're here," Feferi said, confused.

"Oh, that," Sollux said, disappointed.

Feferi giggled, "It's nothing like a vow of celibacy or some carp like that."

Karkat snickered while Sollux tried to stop his face from turning red, "Let's get this over with," he snapped. The trio entered the temple, not knowing what awaited them.

Q: well, here's a thing. I would get a new chapter of Transitioning out but I don't really have ideas. . . Yeah. So, here's a new story, in a fantasy RPG-like setting. Also, points if you get the reference in the chapter. What do those points go toward? I have no idea.